Follow Your Heart
by werks
Summary: S1-02: This is a continuation of "He lets me call him Frank now." The Reagan family deals with the aftermath of Jamie's illness and he is forced to make some life altering decisions.
1. Chapter 1

_This is a continuation of "He lets me call him Frank now." You don't have to read that story first but it does help put things in perspective. This one was originally going to be much shorter and part of a series, but kind of took on a life of it's own as I went and my ideas for several parts got all intertwined, and then I couldn't decide how to break it up. So it ended up as one long piece. I hope you enjoy. Not sure where I will go from here. It's pre-written so I will try to update daily if I can._

 _Disclaimer: As always, I own nothing. CBS owns Blue Bloods; I just take the characters out for a spin for fun. Also I am not a medical professional or in law enforcement so please forgive any glaring errors._

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Chapter 1

The first rays of morning sunshine reflected off a familiar black SUV as it slowly turned the corner onto a quiet street and glided to a stop in front of a stately brick home in the Bay Ridge neighborhood located in the southwest corner of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The temperature was already tepid for an early August daybreak with promised highs in the upper 90's and sweltering humidity predicted for later in the day. NYPD Police Commissioner Frank Reagan had scheduled his detail to arrive especially early as he was eager to get to the office before his regularly appointed hour. He needed some solitary time to review projected budget expenditures without distraction in advance of a noon meeting with the mayor. As an added bonus, there was nothing Frank enjoyed quite like watching as his city stirred in the early hours, throwing off the vestiges of another dark night to awaken with a new day.

The same could not be said for his youngest son, Jamie, who he once again discovered sleeping in an uncomfortable looking heap on the downstairs couch. Frank sighed as he quietly reached for a light blanket to cover the boy without disturbing him. Even now, six weeks after a frightening bout with pneumonia that had left him in the hospital near death in a medically induced coma on life support for ten days, Jamie was still finding it difficult to sleep in his bed for any length of time. More often than not he ended up sitting up in a chair at some point during the night trying to alleviate the residual coughing and nagging tightness that remained in his chest. Six weeks. Frank could not believe it had already been so long since that terrible day that had started off as innocent as this one. Jamie had spent the past fortnight staying at the family home following his release from the physical rehabilitation center, and he knew his independent son was anxious to get back on his own and return to work. Given his current appearance though, Frank doubted that would be anytime soon; a thought that troubled the concerned father as he quietly made his way into the kitchen to retrieve his briefcase and grab a cup of coffee before leaving for work. He was not surprised to find his own father seated at the table reading the paper and a travel mug already made up and ready to go.

"Morning, Pop," he whispered quietly, mindful of the tenuous rest his son was claiming in the next room. "You're up early this morning."

Henry answered with a small grunt and nodded. "Heard Jamie come down a few hours ago. He was having a bad night. I didn't sleep well after that," he admitted. "He has a follow up appointment with the doctor this morning at the hospital. Erin is picking him up at nine to take him over there. Guess that was on my mind too."

Frank pursed his lips. He knew exactly what his father was thinking. "He _is_ getting better, Pop. It's just going to take some time."

"I know that, Francis," Henry stated somewhat wearily, "but he's your son and twice as stubborn. He's not going to accept the fact that he still needs our help. He's going to try to do it on his own."

Frank nodded as he gathered up his items and prepared to leave; he knew that was the honest truth. "Gotta go, Pop. I have an important meeting with the mayor today. Tell Jamie to call me after he is done at the hospital." Henry acknowledged him with a huff and flipped to the next page as Frank made his way out the back door. Today was shaping up to be a busy day for everyone.

###

The smell of French toast and bacon was wafting in from the kitchen as the alarm on Jamie's phone buzzed and startled him awake. It took a few seconds to get his bearings as he reached down to silence it. He grimaced as his kinked muscles protested the sudden move. What he wouldn't give for a full night's rest in a comfortable bed, he thought, but that pleasure had proved to be elusive since he had fallen ill. Instead he had to settle for broken patches of sleep in awkward positions amid intermittent coughing spells. At least he had finally regained enough balance and strength to permanently ditch the walker he had arrived at home with. There was nothing more humbling than having his grandfather handily beat him as they walked down the hall or stairs. Now it was more of a fair race he thought begrudgingly.

Speaking of his grandfather, Jamie could tell by the sounds and smells emanating from the kitchen that Henry was up and had a full breakfast ready to go. He groaned inwardly. Everyone was on the same mission it seemed. After all that had happened he still did not have much of an appetite, in large part because of a basic lack of taste and smell after the irritation from the numerous tubes and medications he'd endured. As a result he was finding it difficult to eat enough to make any headway in gaining back the near thirty pounds he'd lost during his ordeal. The fact that he naturally ate like a rabbit, as Eddie would put it, was not helping. Jamie let out a small grin as he thought about the lengths his former partner, now girlfriend and confirmed foodie, was taking to entice him with all of his known favorite treats from every lunch stop on her beat. He sighed. It wasn't working though and he wished everyone would just back off a little and give him some space on the issue. He knew it would be a topic at today's doctor appointment anyway.

Glancing at his watch he discovered it was already after eight. He knew his sister would arrive early to pick him up for his appointment so he slowly made his way off the couch, ruefully noting the addition of the blanket, which he carefully folded and put away before softly padding into the kitchen. "Morning, Gramps," he greeted Henry while trying to avoid looking directly at the full plate of food already awaiting him at the small table. He went over to the cupboard and pulled out a small glass instead, reaching for the container of milk on the inside of the refrigerator door.

"Good morning," Henry answered as he eyed Jamie carefully. He did not miss the way his grandson skirted around the meal he had prepared. The boy still looked frightfully thin with the dark circles under his eyes enhancing an overly pale complexion. All of Jamie's clothing hung loosely over his slight frame. Anyone could tell he had been severely ill without so much as a second glance.

"I made French toast and bacon; figured you would need a good breakfast before heading out to the hospital this morning," he added.

"Thanks," Jamie replied with a small smile while forcing himself to sit down in front of the plate. "Looks good," he coughed then swallowed hard while picking up the fork; knowing he had to at least make an effort to appease the eldest Reagan.

"What's on your agenda today after the doctor?" Henry inquired.

"Oh, um, not really sure," Jamie replied, carefully chewing and moving things around his plate. "Kinda depends on what Dr. Holden says. I'm hoping she will sign off on letting me drive again at least. Then I need to get to my apartment to go through the mail and pay some bills. Eddie was going to come over there after shift and pick me up. Thought we might go out for a bit. I'll be back home later."

"How are you going to get there? Is Erin waiting with you?" Henry asked. Jamie did not miss the fact that his grandfather was carefully interrogating him.

"No, she's just dropping me off and going on to work," he divulged. "They have a lot of scans and tests scheduled for today so it could take a long time. I'll call someone to pick me up when I'm done or take a cab." He glanced at his watch and added, "Erin will be here shortly. I'd better get a move on it. Thanks for breakfast, Gramps." He got up quickly and tried to discretely empty the remains of his uneaten breakfast in the trash, but he knew he wasn't kidding anyone.

Henry sighed and made his way over to the sink to finish cleaning up. He was still lost in thought when he heard a soft knock. He glanced over to see his only granddaughter come through the back door. "Hi sweetheart," he smiled as she came over to give him a soft peck on the cheek. "Jamie just went upstairs to change. He'll be down in a few minutes."

"It's okay," Erin replied. "I'm early. Just thought I'd stop in and see how things are going. Do I need to get anything at the store for Sunday dinner?"

"No I don't think so," he answered. "Danny's picking up the beef and bringing it over tomorrow. We have everything else covered."

Erin could see that her grandfather was troubled. She knew without asking what he was worried about. "How is Jamie doing this week?" she whispered softly so her brother wouldn't hear.

"About the same," Henry admitted quietly. "Although he doesn't use the walker anymore so I guess that's an improvement. He's not sleeping or eating well yet though. Basically he still looks like death warmed over."

"Well hopefully the doctor..." Erin paused as she heard Jamie's footfalls coming slowly down the stairs, then spoke up louder, "Hopefully Danny doesn't mess up the order at the butcher tomorrow or we'll get a roast tougher than a football like last time."

Jamie made his way back into the kitchen. He was wearing jeans and short sleeved plaid button up over a grey t-shirt. His face was scruffier than normal with a few days worth of stubble adorning it. Normally Jamie was squeaky clean-shaven but lately he had given in to a rougher appearance with a bit of a goatee. He gave his sister a dubious look as he entered. "It's okay Erin, I'm sure the 'roast' will be fine," he noted with more than a hint of heavy sarcasm; as gifted as she was in the courtroom, she certainly wasn't fooling him with that lame attempt to cover herself.

"Jamie, I..." she started to reply before he cut her off.

"It's okay, I'm sorry," he said as he reached for his keys and wallet. "I get it. I just wish everyone would stop treating me like I'm two. Can we please just go?" he asked, eager to avoid a scene as he made his way to the door. "See ya later, Grandpa."

"Call your father when you're done at the hospital," Henry reminded the retreating figure.

"Well this should be a fun drive," Erin deadpanned as she picked up her purse and made her way after her brother.


	2. Chapter 2

_Thanks for the reviews everyone! I really appreciate them!_

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Chapter 2

DCPI Garrett Moore was in a jovial mood as he stepped into the elevator and pushed the button for the fourteenth floor at 1PP. His cursory review of the materials for this afternoon's meeting with the mayor showed no major sticking points, and he was anticipating using the rest of the day to clean up the few minor items left on his schedule. If he played his cards right he would be home in plenty of time to catch the Mets doubleheader on the flat screen tonight. He was practically humming as the bell dinged and he walked off on the top floor making his way towards Frank's office and past Detective Abigail Baker's desk.

"Good morning, Garrett," the Commissioner's assistant greeted him as he neared the office door, "he's been waiting for you."

"I bet," Garrett thought as he put his hand on the knob and entered the expansive office. He knew his boss would have been in at the crack of dawn to review the reports again. He slipped his glasses down to the edge of his nose and scanned the messages on his phone, seeing nothing of importance as he sat down and looked across the desk. His smile was somewhat tempered by the pensive look on Frank's face. "So what's up?" he asked. "I ran those numbers this morning and nothing jumped; everything looks in line with our projections."

"Yes they do," Frank replied sounding unconvinced, sitting back in his chair and pushing his glasses back.

"So being right is now somehow bad?" Garrett questioned. He was perplexed and could see his grand plan for the day slowly circling the drain. Mayor Poole was due to arrive in less than three hours.

"No," Frank admitted, "There's just something that's... off. Can't put my finger on it and I've been staring at these pages for hours." He sighed and took his glasses off to rub his forehead. Maybe he was just tired and looking for a problem where there was none. It was too early in the day for a drink but he was tempted anyway. He put the folder down on the desk and pushed it away. "We'll run with it when Poole gets here."

"Frank..." Garrett started, growing a little concerned, "everything all right at home? Is Jamie..."

"Jamie's improving every single day," Frank said somewhat sharply, almost trying to assure himself that the nightmare of his son's illness was over. "It's just taking some time," he admitted. "We'll know more today after his follow up appointment. Let's move on to the rest of the agenda," he said as he deflected any further questions about Jamie's condition and pushed the button for the intercom.

"Baker, where are the fives from the 3-2?"

###

Jamie nervously pulled at the edge of his shirt as he sat outside of Dr. Holden's office just after noon waiting for the results of his latest tests. He had been poked, prodded, x-rayed and scanned over the course of the last few hours and was just about spent. He could feel his eyes growing heavy as he shifted his weight in the uncomfortable office chair and leaned his head against his arm. His phone vibrated as yet another text message came in. This one was from his brother Danny. That made three in the last ten minutes; everyone wanting to know how his appointment had gone. He sighed and wondered if any of them understood how exhausting his morning had been. He had no answers so chose to ignore them for now, that was until the phone came to life again and showed a call coming in from a certain blond-haired fellow officer.

"Hey," he answered with a smile. "I'm glad you called. Are you on break?" he asked.

Eddie replied with a small laugh, "Not yet. Wilson is out of the RMP tagging a disabled car on the ramp at North and Vine so I am sneaking this in. I just wanted to check on you, anything yet?"

"No," Jamie answered, wishing Eddie was here with him instead of out on the job. "All the tests are done, just waiting for the doctor to call me into her office now."

"Okay, well let me know as soon as you can. I gotta go. I'll see you tonight. Wilson is on his way back. Love you."

"Love you more," Jamie sighed as he clicked the end button to disconnect the call. He missed working patrol with Eddie most of all. Her new partner, Mark Wilson, was a ten-year by-the-book veteran and a standup guy with a wife and two adorable young daughters. Jamie knew he was a solid officer and a good choice to watch Eddie's back, but it didn't stop him from being a little envious. He was still staring at her contact photo on his phone without even realizing it.

"Jamison Reagan," the nurse called. "Dr. Holden will see you now."

He gave her a slight smile as he stood and made his way into the office as she closed the door behind him.

"Jamie, it's good to see you again," Dr. Holden greeted him as he moved to sit down across from her. She did not miss the drawn look and subdued movements. "Please have a seat. Now I have the results of most of your tests, but first I want to ask you how you are feeling before we get into any of that."

Jamie squirmed a little in the chair. "Oh, um, okay I guess. Better you know, but..."

"But still not great, right?" the doctor finished for him.

"Yeah," Jamie said honestly.

"Well some of that is to be expected, Jamie. Quite frankly you were gravely ill not too long ago and needed extraordinary measures to keep you alive. It can be difficult for the body to bounce back from something like that. What I can tell you is that your lungs are healing beautifully and that lingering coughing and tightness you are experiencing should begin to dissipate fairly quickly now. I am going to have you continue on your current medication and the nightly inhalation treatments until all of that is gone, okay?"

Jamie nodded but he was a trained observer; he could tell that she was holding something back. He bit his lip and decided to ask her to lay it all out. "You said my lungs are healing, and some of this is to be expected. That means something is not. Now what haven't you told me yet?" he asked.

Dr. Holden pursed her lips in a tight smile. After dealing with the Reagans in the hospital for several weeks she knew there was no dancing around them. Jamie was a good deal like his father and she had a sense of déjà vu as she recalled the initial conversation she'd had with the Commissioner that tragic afternoon in this very office when she told him that Jamie would likely die despite all of her training. She cleared her throat and continued, "Speaking as your pulmonologist, I will be able to clear you from my service shortly with some regular follow ups." After a brief pause she added, "But given the results of some of your blood tests and the echocardiogram that was done today, as a precaution I am going to refer you back to Dr. Abrams, the cardiologist that treated your heart arrhythmias while you were on life support, as well as a nutritionist to address your weight loss."

"A cardiologist?" Jamie questioned. "Something's wrong with my heart now?" A cold sliver of fear slid through his chest. He looked away and shook his head, gazing at the horizontal blinds drawn across the windows. This all started with a brief chase after a purse-snatcher down a stupid ally six weeks ago. He needed it to be over. He had Eddie now and he wanted to get on with his life.

"Yes, well the blood tests today indicate that you are anemic and you've had some recent muscle damage. The scan also showed a slight enlargement of your heart, which is of course a major muscle in your body. Now this could be something serious or all of this could be residual damage from the strain your heart was under while you were on the bypass and ventilator and it will resolve itself. It is also possible we could be looking at something metabolic going on due to the amount of weight you lost. When you first arrived your body fat percentage was already in a fairly low range so most of what you lost so quickly was muscle mass." Dr. Holden paused to let the information sink in, "You're an athlete, right?"

"Yeah, well, you know, I mean I run, box... play some basketball..." Jamie said flatly, feeling like he'd been sucker punched. He suddenly wondered what this meant for his career. "At least I did before all of this happened," he added somewhat apprehensively.

"Well that is why I want to get a cardiologist and nutritionist involved. We need to make sure this is addressed before you can go back to any physical activity. I can see you are having trouble gaining any weight back. Our records show you lost more than twenty-seven pounds initially and have only gained back slightly more than three since being released from the hospital to the rehabilitation center a month ago," she tilted her head inquiringly as she looked up from his chart.

"I know, um, well I've been trying to eat better," he admitted, suddenly feeling defeated again. "God knows everyone has been pushing food in front of me since I got home, but nothing tastes like... anything. I just don't seem to have much of an appetite." Jamie paused and looked at Dr. Holden squarely, "I do want to eat though, and I have to get back to my life. What does this mean regarding my being reinstated to the force?"

"Well Jamie," Dr. Holden hedged, "I am not going to be able to give you an exact timetable on that. First we need to clear up some of these hurdles. We must be sure that there hasn't been any permanent damage to your heart. However, I did look over the guidelines the department faxed over and I can tell you that even without the cardiac and weight issues you are looking at a minimum of another four-and-a-half months of disability due to the blood thinner protocol you were given for the ECMO treatment. You are not even allowed on modified assignment until then."

"Christmas?" Jamie gasped, his mind already mentally calculating his bills and basic necessities versus the amount he would be collecting if he were out of work until then. They didn't add up. It was just his luck to have graduated from the police academy in 2010 right after new standards were passed decreasing the amount of pay available to injured NYPD officers as a result of the budget crisis. This illness had already made a serious dent in his meager savings. He sat back in the chair, stunned.

"I'm sorry," Dr. Holden said, "I know this can be financially difficult." She pushed a piece of paper across the desk towards him. "Here is the form you will need to file with your personnel department."

"Yeah, um…" he paused to let his mind catch up, this was overwhelming. "Okay… well what about driving? Can I at least have my car back?" he asked, hoping for some small victory to walk away with.

"Yes," Dr. Holden noted. "I don't think that's a problem since you are not on painkillers anymore. As long as you are careful not to drive when you are overly tired."

"Well it's not like I'll have many places to go then," Jamie thought to himself wearily.

"Here is the number for Dr. Weller, the nutritionist I told you about. She is located on the third floor, room 319. I spoke to her earlier and she is able to see you this afternoon right after we are done here. I encourage you to meet with her immediately," Dr. Holden was jotting notes down on a pad and pulling out scripts from her file. "She will get you started on some calorie-dense foods and supplements to support your nutritional needs and that will help your energy level. Dr. Abrams is not available today but he reviewed your test results and has prescribed some medication to support your heart function. You'll need to have this script filled. He has requested you make an appointment to see him in two weeks time. I would like to see you back here in one month to check your lung function again. If you give this paper to Jodi at the desk she will set all of that up for you. If you have any questions for me in the meantime, please do not hesitate to call."

Jamie numbly took all of the papers and shook Dr. Holden's hand, thanking her before making his way out of the office. He wasn't sure what he had expected today, but needless to say he was blindsided and desperate to be alone. The calls and texts to his phone went unanswered as he left the building after meeting with the nutritionist and hailed a cab to take him uptown to his apartment. For the first time in more than five years he did not see himself as an NYPD officer, and Jamie Reagan did not know what he was going to do about that.


	3. Chapter 3

It was just after two o'clock when the meeting with the mayor and his planners finally wrapped up and Baker was busy escorting them out. Garrett quickly excused himself and returned to his office after gathering up his folders. The presentation had gone smoothly for both sides and all the financials looked to be in order, however, Frank still had a nagging feeling that he was missing something obvious. He slipped a copy of the paperwork back into his briefcase, intent on reviewing it with fresh eyes at home over the weekend. Right now he was more bothered by the fact that he had not heard anything from Jamie. Surely his appointment at the hospital was over by now, and yet, glancing at his phone, he could see there were no messages or missed calls listed from his youngest son. Frank frowned and hit Jamie's speed dial number then hung up before leaving a message when it went directly to voicemail. He put the phone down on the desk and stared at it while his fingers drummed a nervous rhythm next to it. Agitated, he picked it up and dialed another number.

"Hello, Frank? Is everything okay?" he heard his daughter-in-law's voice nervously answer.

"Yes, Linda," Frank said as he leaned back in his chair, "Hey, I was just wondering if you had run into Jamie at the hospital today. He was supposed to be down there with Dr. Holden for some tests but I was in a meeting all afternoon with the mayor and hadn't heard back from him. I think he still has his phone off; it goes right to voicemail. Just wondering if he was still waiting to talk to her or how it went." That was a major understatement.

"No, ah… sorry," Linda answered. "I actually just got here myself. I was supposed to be on for second shift but got pulled in a little early. I did just walk by Dr. Holden's office a few minutes ago and everything was dark so she must have left for the day already."

"Oh, okay," Frank sighed, resisting the urge to slap a BOLO order on his son. After seeing Jamie so close to death it was once again proving hard to let his youngest back out of the nest, namely the Reagan home, alone. "I guess he's through then. Pop said he talked about taking a cab up to his apartment to catch up on the mail. I'll try him there."

"I'm sure he's fine, Frank," Linda tried to convince him. "You know Jamie, there's only so much mother henning he can take before he needs a break. We've all been on him pretty hard since he's been home. He's probably at his place sleeping on the couch waiting for Eddie to pick him up."

"I'm sure you're right, Linda," Frank admitted. "We'll see you on Sunday then, please remind Danny to pick up the roast tomorrow." With that he ended the call, feeling no better than he had before. As he expected, ringing the apartment's landline also went unanswered.

Across town Eddie was also fidgeting with her phone, wondering why Jamie had not called or texted after meeting with the doctor. She still had a couple of hours left on her shift before she was scheduled to meet him back at his apartment, and her new partner was a stickler for the rules so there was no chance she could bend them by making personal calls while on duty sitting in the patrol car with him. She quickly shoved the phone back in her pocket as a dispatch came over the radio and she hit the lights and sirens to respond as Wilson steered the car towards the scene near Washington Square Park. Her worries for her boyfriend would have to wait.

###

Jamie paid the driver and stepped out of the cab in front of an outdoor cafe near the Flatiron District a few blocks away from his apartment. He needed some air and it was one of his favorite places to sit and think. He liked to watch people from this vantage point as they scurried back and forth across the street, always in a hurry to go somewhere and do something. Jamie felt like he had so much to do too, but now... now it was going to be a stretch for him to walk the short distance home. After today's events though he really didn't care. It was practically the first time he had been alone since being released from the hospital and he just needed to decompress. To think. He slid into a chair at a small table near the street and pushed the menu away, ordering only an iced tea when the waitress came by. He pulled out the papers the doctors had given him and tried to make sense of them. He needed a plan. Before he talked to anyone in his family, to Eddie... he just needed to sit and think and come up with a plan. There had to be some way... something he could do to deal with this. To make it work. To not lose everything he had poured his soul into. He turned his phone off and put it down without even looking at it.

He was still sitting there more than an hour later, head lowered; concentrating on his notes and rubbing his forehead; oblivious to his surroundings and the people moving past him on the sidewalk. He didn't even notice when a police cruiser rolled silently by, only feet away from him in the street while on its way back to the precinct. It came to a stop just a few yards ahead at the light on the corner. Eddie's eyes brightened though, and her heart skipped a beat as she did a double take when she noticed the familiar form sitting at the table. For an instant, she forgot to consider the reason why he might be there alone, why he hadn't called her back when he said he would. When that reality did hit her; when she realized what that could mean, her breath caught a little and she looked back quickly in the side mirror. Her eyes widened in disbelief though when she watched a pretty, slightly-built brunette with long straight hair drawn back in a clip and wearing a cute blue sundress walk directly up to the table and put her hand on his arm.

"Jamie Reagan, is that really you?"

Jamie looked up, startled out of his zone by the voice from the past, stunned to see the familiar face with the crystal blue eyes that once knew him so well. His heart leaped into his throat and he paled a little when he noticed the unmistakable baby bump that accompanied it.

Eddie gripped the door handle and her knuckles turned white just as the car turned the corner and Jamie stood up to embrace the stranger. She stared straight ahead; her pulse racing, and did not say another word to anyone as she and Wilson made their way back to the station. She quickly clocked off and changed into her street clothes before walking out to her car where she sat trembling for several minutes. This could not be happening, not now. Not after all they had been through the last six weeks, damn it; make that the last two years. She had a good notion as to who the strange woman was, but no idea what to make of it or what to do right now. Jamie did seem to have a type, didn't he? Pretty, petite well-educated and manicured brunettes with long straight hair; pretty much the opposite of herself. Without thinking she somehow found herself parked across the street from his apartment, not quite remembering the drive over. She was supposed to meet him here after her shift, but their relationship, _this_ part of their relationship was so new... she still felt so insecure. What the hell had just happened at that cafe?

She got out of the car and slammed the door a little harder than necessary, but instead of heading across the street she walked down to the pub on the corner and slid onto a barstool to order a stiff drink. She needed some liquid courage before confronting Jamie about anything.

* * *

 _Hmm. Who is the mystery woman and what is she doing there? Can you guess?_


	4. Chapter 4

_Good guesses on the identity of the brunette, but no one got it right (Inserts evil snicker). It was someone that appeared on the show before though. Read on to find out who…_

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Chapter 4

Jamie was completely exhausted both mentally and physically by the events of the day as he stepped off the elevator and made his way to his apartment door. It was the first time he was back since he'd been in the hospital. Eddie had been stopping by a few times a week to pick up the mail and water the few houseplants he'd managed to keep alive after Sydney left. His refrigerator had been cleaned out long ago and Danny brought his clothes and personal items to him when needed. He turned the key in the lock and pushed his way in, throwing his paperwork on the kitchen table. It felt strange to be here alone and oddly depressing. He made his way down the hall into the bathroom and paused to splash cold water on his face when he was finished, as always, a little surprised at the gaunt eyes that stared back in the mirror. "Jesus, I do look bad," he thought. No wonder she barely recognized him at the cafe. God that had been a shock on top of everything else that had happened today.

He returned to the living room and made his way over to a small closet, hesitating before pulling a storage box down off the top shelf and setting it on the coffee table. He rummaged through it for a few seconds before lifting out a framed photo taken during a visit his first year at Harvard. Those same crystal blue eyes stared back from a smiling face, nestled in the center of a campus bench between him and his brother Joe. He put the photo down on the table and sank back in the chair, staring at it. So much had changed. If he could only go back to that innocent time, before his mother had grown ill with cancer, before Joe had been killed that terrible night. So many things would be different now.

Pulling out his phone, he turned it back on and saw that it was nearly four-thirty. Eddie should be there any minute. He sighed guiltily at the number of messages and missed calls from his family and decided to send one short group text letting them all know he was okay here at his apartment and would be back at the house this evening. Hopefully that would appease them all for a bit, although he knew that would not really be the case, and his father, in particular, was probably quite angry by now. The other details would just have to wait. He silenced it again and set the phone down as his eyes slid closed and he finally allowed himself to give in to utter bone tired weariness.

He was still sitting there slouched in the chair when Eddie finally arrived an hour later.

She quietly let herself in, having stayed at the bar for a second round. The jealous insecurity she felt after seeing Jamie with the woman at the cafe was somewhat tempered by the alcohol and the sight of him collapsed in such a deep sleep. He looked completely spent. She did not notice the photo as it was on the opposite side of the table facing away from her. Instead she wandered into the kitchen to put down the food she'd brought back with her. She glanced at the papers on the table and was surprised to see more scripts for medication and appointment cards for the cardiologist. She froze instantly. His heart, she shuddered as her hand came up to cover her mouth, was there something wrong with his heart? She remembered the scary moments standing out in the hall when he was in the hospital on the ventilator and the doctors had struggled to control the arrhythmias. His heart hadn't been 'happy' the doctor had said. He hadn't called her back after his appointment today. What if...? Eddie's frightened eyes flew over to Jamie's frail form lying there on the other side of the room. Suddenly the identity of that brunette didn't matter at all anymore. She rushed over to his side and kneeled down by the chair, gently shaking his arm.

"Jamie, hey," she spoke softly. "Jamie, please wake up and talk to me."

His eyelids fluttered and he looked surprised to see her there. He blinked heavily and rubbed his face and offered her a small smile, "Hi there," he said, putting his arm on her shoulder. "Missed you today."

"Yeah, me too," Eddie replied. "I worried when I didn't hear from you after your appointment." She watched his face carefully for any emotions and her heart fell when she saw a look of defeat in his eyes as he turned away, unwilling to face her. "What is it Jamie? What did the doctor say? Why do you have an appointment with the cardiologist? Please talk to me," she implored.

"Oh, um it's nothing," he lied, not really believing she would accept his answer. "Really, she said it was just a precaution. Something showed up in one of the scans or blood tests or something and they just want to check it again in a couple of weeks." He squirmed a little as he sat up in the chair.

"Reagan," she said shaking her head, "that's not it and you know it. You have a terrible poker face. I know something is wrong, now what is it? Please tell me."

Jamie just shook his head and leaned forward and covered his face with his hands. "I can't," he said sadly. "I don't think I will be able to... just needed to think..." he trailed off staring at the photo on the table; those happy faces reflecting back at him.

Eddie followed his gaze and realized with a start that it was the woman from the cafe pictured sitting between Jamie and his older brother Joe at Harvard; both of them smiling with their arms wrapped around her shoulders. It could only be one person from Jamie's past and she was obviously back in town. Eddie took a deep breath and put her head down. She had to know. "Jamie, who is that in the photo with you and Joe? Is it Syd..."

"Angela," Jamie interrupted softly, "It's Joe's girl, Angie. I... I ran into her today when I was sitting at the cafe down on ninth. I stopped there to think. I just needed to think after..." He paused for an uncomfortable time, his eyes blank and unreadable. "She's back in town for a friend's wedding and was walking by and barely recognized me." He gave a sad laugh sitting back in the chair. "She was like my sister at one time, and she barely recognized me and told me I looked like hell."

Eddie was speechless. The pain in Jamie's voice was fully evident. "I haven't seen her since just after I came out of the academy, you know. She left and went back to Portland because it was too hard when Joe..." he paused, lifting his eyes to the ceiling. "She's married to someone else now. He's a real estate agent. They're expecting a baby in a few months. I... want to be happy for her, she deserves it... it's just hard, you know? To see everything Joe's missed out on. Everything that's changed now."

Eddie's heart broke. She felt terrible for the thoughts she had allowed to take over and the mistrust she'd had. She stood and moved over to sit on the chair arm, wrapping herself around Jamie and holding him tight. "Oh God," she said. "I'm so sorry."

"I can't Eddie," he whispered. "Eddie, I don't think I can be a cop anymore."

"What?" she asked looking at him in shock.

Jamie just leaned back, shaking his head a little. "I can't. They won't clear me until Christmas even if this heart thing is nothing... all the blood thinners and medication I'm on..." He looked down, fiddling with the fabric on the chair arm. "According to guidelines I'm not even allowed to sit there and answer the phones. They're afraid I might bleed to death if I get a paper cut."

Eddie sat back, trying to absorb what he was saying, "But afterwards, you said they would clear you so..."

"I'll be broke by then," Jamie said with a sad frown. "All the hospital bills... rent for this place. I've used everything else to finish paying off my school loans... I won't have anything left. I can't live like this anymore... paycheck to paycheck with no hope of promotion." He stopped and looked up at her. "And if I can't go back on the job... if something is really wrong with my heart... disability pension is a joke. Less than twenty thousand a year. It's not just me anymore. It's us. I want more for us."

"But I can help you," Eddie said tearing up, her hand drifting to the side of his face, pulling it towards her, forcing him to look at her. "Your family will help you too. You love being a cop. It's what you were meant to do."

"It's what I did," Jamie said flatly. The plan had clicked into place. He glanced back down at the photo; that piercing smile and those excited blue eyes he had seen again today. Angie had done it. She had moved past Joe's death; so could he. "Sometimes we have to deal with what life throws at us and move on to be happy again," he echoed her words. "I have another option. There's nothing wrong with that."

Eddie knew exactly what he was planning to do. "Would you enjoy being a lawyer again?" she asked quietly. Her heart was broken for him. Jamie was the best patrol officer she had ever known. It was an integral part of who he was and he had a knack for it. Police work was quite obviously in his blood.

"Only the extra zeros on my paycheck," he quipped, trying to lighten the mood. "But that will do for now. C'mon, I didn't eat much all day and my nutritionist told me that was bad for me. Yes, I have someone else to tell me I'm not eating enough now. Isn't that great? I know you picked up something for me, you always do. I love you Edit Janko, and we're going to get through this."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Frank Reagan shuffled into the kitchen at three o'clock in the morning. His mind would not let him rest again. At first he had been somewhat angry that Jamie had not called him earlier that afternoon, instead choosing to send out a short, sterile text to everyone telling them not to worry, he'd be home later, before turning the phone off again. That had all been erased by the look on his son's face when he'd walked in the door earlier that evening. Jamie had asked Eddie to just drop him off after they had stopped and picked up his new meds at the pharmacy and made their way back to Bay Ridge; he needed to handle things with his father alone. The conversation had been brief, rather bare bones, but Jamie had laid out the issues, his surprise encounter with Angela, and his strategy to deal with things before making his way up to his bedroom and closing his door, shutting them out again. He was planning to move back to his apartment on Sunday after dinner.

Frank made a cup of decaf tea and sat down at the table. His briefcase was still sitting there where he had dropped it when he came home. He reluctantly pulled out his files and gazed at them again, not really focused on their content, but rather thinking about his son and all of the things that had happened to him recently.

He was not surprised when Jamie padded softly into the kitchen a few minutes after him, still looking tired and drawn. "Hey, Dad," he greeted him while pouring himself some milk. "Figured Gramps would be down here with you."

"He worries about you, as do I."

"I know, and I'm sorry about yesterday. I needed some space to think," Jamie sighed as he sat down at the table across from his father. "I just wasn't expecting that kind of news I guess, on top of everything else. The last six weeks… I don't even have words to describe how this has affected me."

"It has affected all of us deeply, Jamie," Frank stated. "And if this is just about the money, please, you know I will help you until you can get back on your feet. We can work something out. You don't have to make any drastic decisions yet. I've helped your sister and brothers plenty of times before, and you've never asked me for anything. You even put yourself through Harvard. You don't have to do this alone."

Jamie's head came up and he looked his father directly in the eye. "I know you would Dad. I do. But it's not just all about me anymore. I love Eddie. I want to make a life with her... have a family too maybe, you know? You raised us all as an NYPD cop, but you had opportunities to move up the ranks that just aren't there for me. I have to accept that, and even if this heart thing turns out to be nothing with the disability pensions for recent hires the way they are, I can't in good conscience have a family that's one stupid accident like this away from the street."

Frank looked at Jamie, saddened that the financial state of the city and his own position as Commissioner were the greatest roadblocks for his son's career, yet at the same time he was flooded with immense pride for the man that sat across from him; no longer the boy he and Mary had raised together. He smiled and let out a slow, deep breath, "Your mother and I tried to keep you away from this life, but we were wrong. You have a true gift for it, and you're probably the best out of all of us, honestly, myself included. I'm so proud of you, son. I'm sorry that it's my position holding you back. It will be a huge loss for the entire department, for my department if you choose to walk away, but you know I'll always support you however I can, no matter what you do."

"I know, Dad," Jamie said softly. "I'll be fine. I will. If I need to I can find work as a legal consultant until I get an offer from the right firm." He smiled and added, "Maybe it's mom's way of getting me out of the family business once and for all. She never did like to lose. Now how about we talk about something else before I get all choked up again? What are you working on? It looks like it's giving you fits."

Frank sighed, tilted his head and pushed the folder over with a small smile. "Maybe you can figure it out then Mr. Corporate Attorney. That was your specialty at Harvard, wasn't it? It's the department budget projections for next year. Everything came in spot on but something is off, I'm sure of it. I just can't put my finger on it and no one else sees anything wrong."

Jamie scanned the documents thoughtfully, "So you and the mayor agree on something major like this and it sends up red flags? Too easy, huh?"

"Yes, that's about it," Frank agreed.

"Hmm. Do you have the actual numbers from the last few years?" Jamie asked, clearly interested as he studied the material.

Frank considered his son carefully. Jamie had graduated at the top of his class at a prestigious Ivy League school; he could be anywhere today if had he stayed in law, yet the boy had spent the last five years following his heart; putting his life on the line as a rookie patrol officer with little recognition other than what the tabloid press had doled out because of who his father is. He deserved more. Any company or law firm in the country would be lucky to have him. There had to be someway for the NYPD to utilize his talents; talk of hooks because of the Commissioner's status be damned. It was time to put his son ahead of that. He placed his hand down, closing the folder, "Jamie, this will keep until the morning. You need your rest, okay? Your health is first and foremost. We're going to figure this out, but speaking as your father, it's time for you to go back to bed."

Jamie smirked and looked up from the page, "Haven't heard that from you in a while, Pop. I am tired though. I'll sleep but I think I'll do better down here on the couch, okay?"

"Alright, sleep well, son."

"I'll try. Goodnight, Dad."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Saturday dawned hot and hazy once more, the type of morning where the air was dense and refused to move. As the sun rose the heat and humidity increased in intensity. Danny Reagan was cursing himself for taking his Jeep to run errands when the air conditioning failed to come on. With a house and two kids in private school, even a first grade detective's salary and Linda's nursing position did not allow for many extras. Danny would just have to deal with the heat for now, there were too many other things needing attention that trumped a minor auto repair.

He dutifully dropped off the dry cleaning and stopped at the market to pick up Sunday's roast as requested, knowing he needed to drive directly over to his father's house to deliver it before it spoiled. It would give him a chance to check in on his little brother anyway. Linda had relayed Frank's concerned phone call to him the day before and worry was niggling at Danny. Jamie had been so sick and just didn't appear to be recovering at any great speed. He also knew his brother well, and shared Henry's concern that Jamie would try to do too much, too soon on his own. He wished the kid would start eating more. That would be addressed at tomorrow's dinner, or sooner, if Danny had his way.

He parked the car in the driveway on the side of the house and gratefully made his way into the cool kitchen through the back door where he found his father and grandfather sharing a late breakfast.

Henry motioned towards the living room and for him to be quiet. "Jamie's asleep. Coffee's hot if you'd like."

"He's still sleeping on the couch?" Danny asked with a frown, setting the roast down on the counter and moving over to the doorway to see his little brother propped up on some pillows. God, he was so rail thin and pale. Danny still had nightmares remembering how bad things had been in the hospital. There were times he had honestly expected Jamie's body to just quit right there in front of him, but his brother had rallied and fought his way back against the odds. "What did the doctor say yesterday?" he asked quietly.

"Dr. Holden said his lungs are looking good," Frank answered. He dreaded adding the second part, knowing how Danny would take the news. "They umm... have some concerns about his heart now though. She referred him back to the cardiologist and recommended a nutritionist."

"What?" Danny said a little too loudly, looking back at his father in surprise. "Jesus, what kind of concerns?" His frightened eyes drifted back to his brother who was now stirring.

"She said it was enlarged. Could be some damage from the strain it was under when he was on the ventilator," Frank said softly. "Or it could be from the weight loss," he added.

"Well Christ, Dad, he _is_ too damn thin. There's nothing left of him. He's gained back, what? Two pounds?" Danny growled, waving his arms and letting the frustration win over as his voice went up. The kid was going to start eating more if he had to sit with him every day and force-feed it to him. He turned again when his brother addressed him from the living room.

"Here we go. 'He' is right here, _Daniel_ , and it's three and a quarter pounds, thank you," an annoyed Jamie sniped as he swung his legs around and sat up on the couch. He had been dreading this visit in particular and hadn't really prepared for it.

"Well that's just peachy, _Jamison,_ " Danny remarked equally sarcastically. "At this rate you might be back to work by, hmm, let's say Christmas?" He was surprised to hear audible gasps from both Frank and Henry. "What?" he turned to look at them and then returned his gaze to Jamie who had gone another shade paler as if that was even possible. "What's going on?" he demanded.

"Nothing, Danny!" Jamie angrily replied as he got to his feet and made his way over to the staircase. His older brother could be such a complete ass sometimes without even trying. "Just be happy your wish has come true and I'm going back to law where you've always thought I belonged!" With that he slowly made his way up the steps and closed the door to his room.

"What is he talking about?" Danny's stunned eyes returned to his father, hating the feeling that he had somehow been left out in the cold. He moved over to the table and slumped down in a chair. Frank quickly filled him in on the events of the day before and Jamie's intentions.

"Angie's married now? With a baby coming? Why didn't she let us know?" Danny pondered, but he already knew the reason.

"I'm sure it was hard for her to move on," Henry said. "She's a good kid. Joe would want her to be happy."

"And Jamie's really leaving the job?" Danny was still trying to wrap his head around that one. Just a few short weeks ago, on the day this all started, he had confessed to Linda how much he'd rather his brother be working in an office all day rather than out on the streets as a patrol officer, but still... now that it was actually happening it left a hollow feeling inside of him. He knew deep down how painful this decision must be, and frankly, it confirmed Danny's greater fear that his brother might never be completely well again. Jamie loved being a cop. That was a hard pill to swallow.

"Looks that way," Frank confessed. It didn't feel any better to him either after a few hours of sleep. "He's focused on making a life with Eddie and right now sees that as his only option."

Danny just shook his head and took another sip of coffee, "That's not right Dad, it's just not right."

Frank agreed, and a small kernel of an idea began to formulate in his mind. He needed to check something back at the office.

###

Jamie spent about an hour in his room cleaning up and packing. He could hear bits and pieces of the conversation below but he just didn't have it in him to face off with Danny right now. He knew it was a little childish to hide up there but he didn't particularly care at this point. He wandered downstairs sheepishly after he heard Danny's car leave.

"Is the coast clear?" he asked as he offered his grandfather a slight grin.

"Danny is just concerned about you," Henry replied. "You're life has been shaken up quite a bit lately. We all just want to make sure you're okay."

"I know Gramps, I'm sorry. It's just hard to talk about it right now without getting upset, and with Danny it would have turned into a bigger argument. I'm just not ready for that right now." Jamie sighed, and then added, "Where's dad?"

"Called the batmobile to pick him up twenty minutes ago. Said he had something to do at the office. Looks like it's just you and me for a while. What are your plans?" Henry asked.

"Oh, I dunno, didn't really have any," Jamie admitted, eyeing the folder he had been discussing with his father. He needed to do something constructive. "Eddie's on shift until four. Guess I'll just hang out here and read," then quickly added after he saw Henry's glare, "oh, um after I eat some breakfast."

"Good boy. I'll be in the basement organizing some donations if you need me," his grandfather said as he walked out of the kitchen.

Jamie slowly made his way over to the refrigerator and opened it. None of the leftovers looked appetizing, so he pulled out a couple of eggs and started to scramble them. Eggs were protein, he reasoned; the nutritionist said to focus on that to rebuild his muscles. He thought he could at least get those down and then he would try one of the high calorie shakes she had recommended as well although the mix looked like ground chalk. He stared into space as the eggs were cooking; almost forgetting what he was doing and burning them.

When they were done he brought the plate over to the table and pulled open the folder his father had left. It had been a while since he'd had to analyze something like this but he'd always had a real knack for it. He kept his mind open and just looked for a pattern that might be out of place. The food grew cold as the hours went by. He reviewed page after page, sensing his father was right; something was just too perfect, too contrived. He pulled out the information from previous budgets and felt himself drawn to the projections for the legal and disability departments. The correlation was always nearly exactly the same between the two, and the annual increase for both departments was just below the level that would trigger a review. When he compared them to the actual numbers for the past three years, they matched exactly, practically down to the penny. That was statistically impossible, there should always be some outliers in real world situations. They had to be linked in some manner. There could only be one conclusion. In this case right was wrong.

The front door opened as Frank returned home, making his way back to the kitchen. He was not surprised to see Jamie there reviewing the paperwork; he knew his son would take to a such a task like a dog to a bone at this point, but he frowned at the uneaten food sitting next to him.

"Jamie..." Frank started, ready to launch into another lecture about his son's health.

"Dad," Jamie broke in excitedly, "Dad, you were right! Something is off. Look at these numbers! Someone's cooking the books!"

"Wait, what?" Frank asked as Jamie pulled out papers and a notepad, showing him detailed notes and sketching graphs and bell curves to make his point as he explained his conclusion. His father sat back in amazement, obviously he had always known that Jamie was intelligent, but this was wickedly smart stuff and it had only taken him a few hours to pinpoint an issue no one else had spotted in years.

"So you think someone is siphoning off funds in some way from the legal and disability departments," Frank frowned. He hated finding corruption in his department although he had never been foolish enough to think there was none.

"Has to be something like that. They have to be linked. There's no other reason for both sets of these numbers to balance out so precisely. If there is something being rigged, it's possible there was a loss of hundreds of thousands, if not millions over the last few years," Jamie concluded, more than a little irritated at the notion considering his own current predicament. Injured cops just like him were taking the hit for someone else's greed.

"Well then, that's interesting," Frank said as he sat back in his chair and thoughtfully stroked his chin. The plan he had been formulating for Jamie's future now needed some revisions. He was torn though, remembering the last time a Reagan had been sent in to root out corruption in the NYPD; it had resulted in the Blue Templar fiasco and Joe's death. Jamie himself had been targeted and nearly killed when he had later pursued the investigation on his own. "Let's keep this between us right now, Jamie," he sighed. "Just the _two_ of us," he emphasized. "You did an outstanding job here. Now I need to figure out what to do about it."

"Okay, Dad. I promise... no one else, not even Eddie," Jamie said, relieved to have finally done something resembling police work after the past month and a half.

"Good. Now let's get you something to eat besides cold eggs," his father chastised.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

For the first time since he had been home from the hospital, Jamie was able to sleep soundly through the night in his bed. When he awoke on Sunday morning he felt almost refreshed. Almost, that was until he remembered the circumstances he was facing. That continued to leave a bad taste behind. Still it was a huge improvement to feel even a little bit better; perhaps things had finally turned the corner with his health. He prayed that would continue and that the news from his upcoming cardio appointment would be good. He was determined to do his best between now and then to make it so.

As he made his way downstairs, he noted that his father's briefcase was missing from its usual perch near the front door. Frowning, he walked into the kitchen to find his grandfather alone again. Frank never missed Sunday Mass if it could be helped unless the city was under siege. "Where's dad?" he asked.

"Went back into the office early this morning." Henry replied. "Something big must be up, you know your father. He did say he would meet us at the church for services though." He turned to look at his grandson, "Don't tell me you actually slept through the night upstairs? Feeling okay?"

"Yeah, better today I think," Jamie said. "Definitely less coughing for a change. Felt good to actually sleep in my bed."

"I still wish you would reconsider going back to your place tonight," Henry frowned. "Why not give it another week? I hate to think of you alone over there. You know I'm an old man and worrying is what I do best."

"I know Gramps, and I'm sorry," Jamie said sincerely. "I appreciate all that you've done for me. I just feel like I need to get some part of my life back. I hate being so dependent on other people."

"That's what family is for Jamie, to see you through the hard times," Henry said. "One day soon I will be in those shoes myself. Hell, it's already to the point where I don't drive anymore. Another few years..."

"Don't go there Grandpa, please!" Jamie knew his grandfather's health wasn't the best anymore; the heart attack he suffered a few Thanksgivings ago had undeniably highlighted that, but it was too much to think about now. Jamie just couldn't bear the thought of losing another family member he loved so dearly.

"Now don't you worry about me, son," Henry said, sensing Jamie's alarm. "I'm too stubborn to go anywhere anytime soon." He smiled and added, "Besides I've been waiting long enough to see you with that pretty girl of yours. Eddie's a good woman, Jamie. She's the one for you. Don't you make her wait too much longer. You two were meant to be together, just like my Betty and I. Now I don't agree with you leaving the force, but I understand why you are considering it."

"Yes sir," Jamie shrugged. It was still difficult to talk about without a lump forming in his throat, especially to the man who had always been a larger-than-life hero to him. He continued, choked with emotion, "I do love her, Grandpa. More than anything. I... I still see myself as a cop, but if being a lawyer is what I need to do to make the right life for her, well that's what I have to do."

His grandfather looked at him, well aware of the irony of that statement. Sydney had broken the engagement and left because she could not handle Jamie being a cop instead of a lawyer. Now here he was, ready to give that up and go back to law for Eddie when was she happy to support him on the job. "You're a good man, Jamie," Henry reached over and gave him a squeeze on the shoulder. "Never doubt yourself for a second. Now how about we eat and get ready for church. A little birdie told me you're allowed to drive again and your car could use a spin around the block. With your father gone already this old man needs a ride."

###

For Jamie, this was the first Sunday service he had been able to attend since he had fallen ill in June. It brought back just a little bit more normalcy in his life, which felt like a great blessing. He had always been the most spiritual of all the Reagan siblings, and he spent the hour sitting next to his family; contemplating the events of the past two months and seeking guidance for the decisions he knew he needed to make. He wasn't naive though, to the looks and whispers from the people around him. Even Father McMurray could not hide his shock at the young Reagan's frail appearance as they shook hands outside of the church.

"Jamie," he said as he took his hand, "so good to see you looking so... It's so good to see you here today."

"Thanks Father," Jamie replied. "It's good to be back," he said politely and then gritted his teeth a little as he slowly walked down the rest of the steps, carefully holding the railing to be sure not to fall. So many weeks of struggling in physical therapy had still left him a little paranoid about stairs. Danny was waiting for him at the bottom.

"You okay, kid?" he asked worriedly.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks, Danny." At this point Jamie figured it was just easier to indulge his older brother than to put him off, even though the constant hovering was starting to grate on his last nerve.

"You look tired," his older brother observed. "You want me to drive you home? I can't believe Gramps had you bring your car. Linda can take..."

"Danny," Jamie said a little more firmly as he began to make his way to the parking lot. "I'm fine. The doc cleared me to drive and Dad's house is only four blocks away. I can handle it. Okay?"

"Yeah, alright," Danny said without any conviction as he walked along aside, ready to steady his younger brother if needed. "If you're sure. I guess we'll see you in a little bit for dinner. Linda wants to go pick up a few things at the store before we come over."

"Sounds great," Jamie sighed as unlocked the driver's door on his Mustang and looked up to see Henry hurriedly making his way towards them. "Besides I have Gramps with me. It's not like he's going to let me go off for a joyride through the city just yet," he said as he turned to see his father's SUV idling at the corner. "Plus it looks like the batmobile will be escorting us anyway."

"Okay, good. That's good," Danny breathed as he watched Jamie climb behind the wheel. He was not at all confident that his brother was ready to be out on his own just yet, and despite what Linda had told him; he planned to make it a main topic of conversation around the dining room table that afternoon.

###

Jamie and Henry drove back home without incident, pulling into the garage just as Frank's car arrived at the front of the house and he dismissed his detail. They all walked into the back door together. Henry set about putting the roast in the oven while Frank made his way into the den, which he used as his home office. Jamie puttered around helping in the kitchen, taking his medicine and straightening up for a few minutes before popping into the doorway to see what his father was up to.

"Hey, Dad," he said as he shoved his hands into his pockets and leaned up against the frame. "What's been up with you working so much this weekend? Something going on?"

"Jamie, come in and have a seat," Frank replied, seeming a bit distracted. "Close the door. I wanted to have a few minutes alone with you before the others get here anyway."

"Okay," his youngest replied, doing as he was told and slowly sinking into the nearest leather chair. No matter how old he was he didn't think he would ever get over the nervous feeling of sitting in front of his father's desk when he had that tone in his voice. It was a hundred times worse than being called into any principal's office. "You gonna tell me I'm still too sick to even think about driving on my own or moving back to my apartment? Because Grandpa and Danny already covered that pretty thoroughly this morning."

Frank looked up and smiled. "No, son," he said gently. "I wish you would stay a bit longer but I know you are getting tired of the hovering and are maybe wanting a little bit more privacy than we can offer around here." He paused, and then added, "That doesn't mean I'm not worried about you, but I can understand your feelings."

Jamie nodded, reading his father's eyes. "There's something else then," he prodded. "Something about those numbers in the budget proposal."

Frank gave him a tight-lipped smile. Jamie had always been perceptive, even as a small child. Back then, as a major case detective he had always tried to leave his work behind at the precinct, but his youngest would never failed to pop up in this very office with his infectious smile whenever he had a tough case. Times, it seemed, had not changed. "Yes, although yesterday when I first started to consider this I had absolutely no idea that it would lead back to the issues I was having with the spending proposal," he said.

"What is it, Dad?" Jamie asked quizzically.

"Son, I know what you said about leaving the force to go back to law," Frank started. "I respect your feelings about that, but I just felt like I needed to see if there was some way we could work something out so that you didn't have to make the decision to leave the NYPD right away; not until you knew for sure whether you had to or not."

"Dad, I appreciate what you are saying, but I can't just wait around until December or longer to see what happens. I have bills coming in and..." Jamie blinked hard as he thought about the right words to use, "and I have to have a reason to get up everyday and push myself to get better. I have to move on. The longer I dwell on this the harder it will be."

"I know that, Jamie," Frank said softly, "but the more I thought about it... about you and the unique skillset you would offer any other employer... the more I realized that every other company or law firm would pull out all the stakes to keep you on board. How can I run the best police department in the country if I am willing to allow someone with your talents to just walk out the door?"

"What are you talking about, Dad?" Jamie puzzled. "I've seen the guidelines. I can't even work the desk or answer the phone at the precinct for more than four months. What else can I do?"

"You said you would be willing to work as a legal consultant until the right offer came in," Frank explained, pushing a paper across the desk for Jamie to see. "The NYPD Legal Bureau has an open position for a temporary consultant starting September first through the end of December. You would be listed as a private contractor so you don't have to adhere to the departmental health guidelines."

Several seconds of pure silence went by before there was a response. "Oh, for real?" Jamie asked as his gaze sharpened. He picked up the paper and scanned it, a little surprised at the money that was being offered, and not at all expecting his father was serious. He was astounded by what Frank had just said. "But Dad, I couldn't even get a regular promotion before because people would think I was pulling in my hook with you. Now you want to blatantly hand me a job?" His hand went to his forehead and then dragged over his face as he silently wondered if he was hearing things because he was too tired or had accidentally overdone it with the new medication he just took.

"Jamie," Frank continued, "Someone with your resume, a decorated cop, a top Harvard Law graduate... anyone would be crazy not to hire you for a position like this. And yes," he added, "for once I was prepared to say to hell with perceptions and put you first beyond that. You deserve it, son. You have for a long time."

"You _were_ prepared," Jamie said, backtracking and latching onto those words. Suddenly he was mentally tying up some of the loose ends in the scenario his father was presenting. "But now..."

"And now I am asking you to do it for another reason," his father admitted. "I'll completely understand if you say no, but I need you..."

"You need me to go in there and somehow find out where the money from the legal and disability departments is hemorrhaging from," Jamie finished as he met his father's eyes with an intense stare. He shifted back in his seat as he contemplated what was being requested of him. Another undercover operation, something he swore he would not be interested in after the fiasco with the Sanfino family. The responsibility he felt for other's lives was just too great, and it was hard for him to only see the bad in people. Yet this time he was being asked to help stop other cops from being hurt financially or taken advantage of. He didn't think he could live with himself if he said no to the assignment.

Frank could see that his son was conflicted. In all truth, he honestly wondered to himself what he was doing soliciting this from Jamie. Corruption of this magnitude had surely drawn in some desperate conspirators and he was asking his son, the one that was just barely recovered from near death, the one he had promised Mary to protect not so long ago... he was asking him step into possible danger again on behalf of the NYPD in much the same manner that Joe had walked into the Blue Templar investigation which led to his death. "Jamie, I would never even consider this if I thought there was anyone else who could handle the job. You know that, right?"

"Yeah," Jamie responded, still a bit numb. On one hand he was immensely proud that his father had such faith in him, yet on the other hand he was still terrified of the consequences and he had someone else to consider this time. He wondered what Eddie would think. "Something like this hits close to home, now doesn't it?" he admitted. "Injured cops getting shafted. Can't really say no, can I?"

"Yes, Jamie," Frank quickly answered. "You can absolutely say no and this conversation never happened. Right here and now. I will find another way." He stood up and placed his hands on the desk for emphasis. "I mean it, son. There is no shame in walking away from this. We all know too damn well what the costs can be. Especially you."

There was a long silence while they both considered the gravity of those words. An empty presence emphasized that point succinctly at every single family gathering. "Well," Jamie said finally with a bit of the sideways smile he always used to diffuse tension, "at least I wouldn't have to remember to call myself Jimmy Riordan this time, would I?"

Frank stifled a small laugh. "No, as far as undercover goes you wouldn't need too much prep work on your alias." He sat back down in his chair. "How do you want to handle this?"

"Let me think about it this afternoon," Jamie said. "If I decide to go ahead, I want to bring the rest of the family in on it after dinner... I'll need Danny and Erin and I have to let Eddie know what's going on. I wouldn't really be able to use any other NYPD resources for backup without risking the whole thing, and I'm for sure as hell not going in with IAB."

Frank pursed his lips and nodded. "If you do decide to tell them, we'll need to get the kids out of the house before you say anything to your brother."

Jamie knew he wasn't kidding. "Given the fact he was ready to carry me to the car and drive me back home this morning after church, I think you're probably right about that, Dad," he said honestly, taking in a deep breath. Even with his father on board, facing Danny was probably the scariest part of the whole plan at this point.

* * *

 _Next up one of my favorite chapters from the whole story. ;-)_


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"ABSOLUTELY NO WAY IN EFFING HELL!" Danny roared as Jamie cringed and gave silent thanks for his father's foresight in sending Linda and Nicki to the movies with the boys that evening. Erin just rolled her eyes as Eddie shrank back up against Jamie's frame from where she was perched on the chair next to him. He had his arm wrapped around her waist and gave her a gentle hug. They were gathered in the living room and he had just briefly outlined Frank's plan. Eddie had previously seen some of Danny's temper displays at work, and Jamie warned her about what was coming, but this one looked to be on a whole 'nother level she thought to herself. His older brother had already worked himself up somewhat at dinner with Jamie's insistence that he was moving back to his apartment that night. This news seemed to be pushing him over the edge.

"Daniel! Sit down and keep it civil!" Henry ordered as he reached for the highball glass Frank was offering. Erin also grabbed a tumbler and waited as her father poured some amber liquid in, certain she was going to need it before this discussion went much further. Eddie declined as she had already gulped a rather full glass of wine earlier at dinner to calm her nerves after Jamie had spoken to her in the garden, and he waved it off due to the medicine he was still taking. Though, to be honest, if there was ever a time he needed a stiff drink, this would have to be it.

Frank thoughtfully rolled the heavy glass back and forth in his hand as he sat down.

"You can't be serious about letting him do this!" Danny started back in immediately, moderating his tone only slightly in deference to his grandfather. "Look at him! He's still weaker than a newborn kitten… with a _freaking_ heart condition now... and you want to send him in undercover, again?" Danny couldn't be sure, but he thought his father must have surely snapped a little under the weight of Jamie's decision to leave the NYPD. "How the hell is he going to take care of himself? Do you remember what he looked like after Tesla got a hold of him when he suspected him of pulling that client list out of the boiler room?"

Eddie gave Jamie a puzzled look that Danny didn't miss. "Oh yeah! Ask him about that one! Ask him to tell you how he had to drag himself out of a parking lot after they beat him up, and then get to the hospital alone with cracked ribs and a busted face when his last stint undercover without backup went wrong! He had to swallow the damn evidence! _Swallow it!_ He was lucky they didn't kill him outright then and there or when Papa Sanfino got wise and put a hit out on him!" Danny was back to ranting now and the volume was picking up. "That's all on top of him rescuing that baby out of a burning building and getting tangled up with Sonny and the Blue Templar and having his brake lines cut and wrecking the Chevelle! Then he got shot in the vest when Vinny died at the Bitterman houses. Damn kid's already used up more than his nine lives. This needs to stop!"

"Danny," Frank said as Eddie blinked quickly, looking from face to face; trying to follow along, "this is not that."

"How do we know what _this_ is?" Danny shot back. "No one seems to know what _this_ is! Hell, with all of those numbers and legal terms... no one else has picked up on or even understands what they are doing besides Jamie..." he paused as the weight of his words hit him.

"Exactly, Danny," his younger brother interjected, forcing himself to remain calm and look for an opening.

"Dad," Erin interrupted, "Why can't we just subpoena the records for a grand jury or appoint a special investigator?"

"We have no proof of wrongdoing, Erin," Frank stated. "I've looked over all the reports out of that division for the last three years. Nothing pops as being below the boards. Whoever is doing this is smart and no doubt has an exit strategy if things go south. If your brother is right it's been going on for quite some time. That narrows the suspects down to long-term employees."

"So what's he supposed to do? Just waltz in there cold as the Police Commissioner's golden child and hope someone asks him if he wants a piece of the score?" Danny asked sarcastically as he sat back with his arms crossed. He had not failed to notice that his father had declined to offer him anything to drink.

"No," Frank explained. "I have a meeting scheduled with Deputy Commissioner Miller tomorrow. There are some other regular matters to discuss, but when the conversation falls to the family, as it always does with Chuck, I'll bring up the consultant opening, and, shall we say, strongly imply Jamie would make an excellent candidate for the position. Jamie will go in and do the work he's assigned to do; he'll be helping to clear a backlog of cases before the start of the new year, and as he does that he'll just keep his eyes and ears open while he's there and see if he can figure out what is going on in that department."

"So they will think I'm just getting in there because of Dad's hook," Jamie added. "Look at me. I'm a poster child for a compassionate hire. I don't think I could have come up with a more believable backstory if I tried." Eddie had her arm on his shoulder and gave him a gentle hug, closing her eyes as she gently kissed the top of his head. Her poor lambchop. She hated that he thought of himself that way.

"But everyone that knows dad, knows he doesn't pull out his hook, especially for his kids," Erin stated. "I think that will make them suspicious," she added, taking a sip from her glass.

"Chuck Miller is an old family friend," Henry said. "If your father plays it right, that will smooth it over."

"What if he's in on it?" Danny asked. He had calmed down somewhat but still adamantly opposed the plan, and refused to put his trust in anyone.

"If Chuck is dirty in this, I'll eat my badge!" Henry retorted. "I worked with the man for ten years. He's as true blue as they come!"

"We can't bank on that, Pop," Frank said, still twirling the scotch in his glass around before finally taking a long sip. "We've been burned by it in the past. It has to be someone that's been in that office for a while, but it doesn't matter though. I know how to work it."

"Oh yeah, Dad," Danny scoffed. "Just drag Jamie in there and let him pull out the puppy eyes. No one can resist those." He smirked rather coldly as he looked directly at Eddie to emphasize his point. "I still can't believe you are all serious about this," he said, shaking his head as he stood up and started to pace. "Of all the dumb rookie moves…"

"Hey!" Jamie interrupted, his hazel eyes flashing with sudden anger as he sat up straight. "Lay off the rookie stuff! I'm doing this for all the damn cops you like to call rookies like Eddie and me! All the cops that graduated with me and after my class in 2010! All of us that lay our lives down out on patrol for this same city that you do, and if we get injured or sick in the line of duty, because we took our oath _after_ you old geezers, we end up with a disability pension below the poverty line! You, God forbid anything ever happens to you, Danny," he continued as he made the sign of the cross over himself with his hand, "but you would take home more than seventy-five percent of your original salary. It's not great but you can figure out a way to live on that. I'm not going to walk away from this knowing that someone is ripping off the disability department and my fellow 'rookies' are the ones paying the price!"

"Jamie," Danny started, his voice had softened. He was at a loss for words, silently kicking himself. Of course he hadn't thought to consider the reason why his brother might be so vested in this operation that he was willing to put himself at risk again. "I'm sorry. I know, but..."

"But I'm your kid brother," Jamie retorted, still angry as he took Eddie's hand. "I'm your kid brother, but it shouldn't be better off for _my_ _family_ if I die in the line of duty so they get a posthumous promotion and a full pension rather than have me live and be disabled or unfit for duty, should it? If that was the case when I got sick, do you think maybe... I wouldn't... have... fought... as hard... to come back?" His voice completely broke at that point as he started coughing and gasping from the exertion. His chest was knotting up and he got up to leave through the kitchen, grabbing his inhaler as he walked out onto the back porch. He needed space to go breathe. Eddie was in tears as she stood up quickly to follow him.

"Wait, Eddie," Henry said to her gently, holding up his hand. "I know that you haven't been present for any heated Reagan family discussions before, but they do come as part of the territory. We're all Irish and stubborn after all. There's a protocol though, isn't there, Daniel?" he finished sternly, looking his oldest grandson's way.

"Oh, um right, Gramps," Danny sighed as he looked around the room. Frank and Erin were fiercely glaring back at him. Eddie had a deer in the headlights look as she sank back into the chair. Poor girl, she sure picked a good one to sit in on for the first time. He gave silent thanks that his wife and sons weren't there although he knew she would hear about it and there would be hell to pay at home. "Okay then, well I guess I'll just be outside for a bit," he said as he followed Jamie's path out of the room.

Henry grunted as he sat back in his chair, "Jamie, that kid... he's something else," he sighed. "He sure cuts right to the truth though, doesn't he, Francis?"

Frank just nodded his head. He had fought the mayor's commission valiantly when they slashed the disability payments for new hires in 2009, but always felt like he had let his men down. The city had been nearly bankrupt at that point and there wasn't much that could be done. Still what had happened to his son really brought the problem home again. It was still being challenged in the courts but he promised himself it would be revisited as soon as this situation was cleared up.

Danny didn't have far to go as he walked out the back door. Jamie was hunched over with his elbows on his knees, sitting on the steps, still working on controlling his breathing. The stale hot, humid air of August was not helping, nor was the inhaler yet. His eyes were shut, and his forehead was resting on his crossed arms as he fought to relax himself and stop coughing; determined to wait it out and not make a scene with another trip to the hospital. Danny sat down next to him and hurriedly put his hand on his brother's back, rubbing small circles like he did to comfort him when Jamie was sick with bronchitis as a little boy.

"Not... now... Danny," Jamie huffed. "Can't..."

"Shhh," Danny said as he continued his soft rhythmic touches. "Don't. Just relax, okay? We'll talk later. Please, Jamie..." He turned and pulled his brother's shoulder closer to him with his other hand, resting his chin gently on top of it, and they sat like that quietly for several minutes until the medicine kicked in. Jamie's breathing eventually evened out and he was able to sit back up.

"I'm okay now," he uttered. "It's better."

"Good," Danny said, relieved. "That's good. I'm so sorry. I'm such an idiot. I get it now. You of all people should know sometimes it takes a while to get through this thick head of mine."

"Yeah," Jamie smirked weakly.

"Hey, you don't have to be so quick to agree with me though, kid," Danny shot back at him with a smile.

"'Kay'"

They sat aside of each other in the cooling evening light for several more minutes before Danny spoke again. "So you're still planning on moving back to your apartment tonight," he asked worriedly.

"Danny..."

"I know. I know..." he said quickly. "Gramps is concerned about you though," he peaked at Jamie with that one-eyed wider around-the-corner look that he used when he was sort of kidding.

"Gramps is going to need to double up on his cholesterol medicine if I don't get out of here soon," Jamie deadpanned. "All he's doing is cooking comfort food for me all day." They both laughed it off a little but they knew the circumstances weren't really that funny. "I'm going to be okay, Danny. I promise. I'll be careful, and I'm going to look after my health. Besides Gramps will just make the food anyway, and he and dad will use it as an excuse to come over and check on me."

"Yeah, well be prepared to have a lot of company," Danny said seriously. "Because you and I have a lot of planning to do for this undercover assignment. You're not going into this without a clear backup plan like you did before with OCCB. I'm going to be in charge of that this time," he emphasized. "Now let's go in and get your stuff ready. I'll drive your car home for you and have Linda pick me up there." He gave Jamie the hairy eyeball look again when he saw the stubborn expression set in on his little brother's face. "Humor me, will ya? I promise you I won't stay long. I have a feeling Eddie will be showing me the door anyway if I try!"

Jamie just shook his head and grinned a little as he got up. Eddie was a force to be reckoned with if she could scare Danny off like that.

* * *

 _For those of you asking for more Jamko, there's a lot coming up in the next chapters!_


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

True to his word, Danny left Jamie's apartment soon after Linda arrived to pick him up. He sheepishly ducked her stare as he said his goodbyes and made his way out into the hall. She had gotten an earful from Erin when she dropped Nicki off at the house after the movie. After reassuring herself that the latest rift between the brothers was smoothed over, Linda gave Jamie a hug on her way out while she apologized to Eddie for her husband's behavior. The door clicked shut and they were suddenly and awkwardly alone.

"Okay, then," Jamie said as he turned and started to put away a few things in the kitchen; setting his medication on the counter by the microwave while Eddie unpacked the containers of food Henry sent along and put them in the refrigerator. They were done in just a few minutes.

Now that they were by themselves, Eddie really wanted to talk about everything that happened back at the house. There were things in Danny's tirade that scared the living daylights out of her, but it didn't look like Jamie was up for it. Instead she decided to bide her time and asked, "Do you need help with anything else?" as she leaned against a stool at the small breakfast counter.

"No, um I don't think so," he said, looking around, uncharacteristically deciding to leave the bags with his clothes unpacked. "Why don't we just sit down and chill out. I'm beat. The rest can wait." He took Eddie's hand and led her to the living room; sinking down beside her into the deep leather sofa with a heavy sigh as he kicked off his shoes and put his feet up on the coffee table. "Do you hear that?" he asked.

"No, what?"

"Nothing," he sighed contentedly. "Absolutely nothing. Do you realize this is the first time we are sitting on a couch together as an official couple and there is no one here to disturb us? No nurses. No doctors. No family members. No damn machines beeping or tubes in the way." He sat up slightly and turned to face her. "We've been together for six weeks... well almost five if you count the ones where I was actually awake, and I've never even asked you out on a date, Edit," he smirked.

"Reagan, we've been out together like a hundred times," Eddie laughed. "Or have you forgotten the last two years."

"Not the same," Jamie said as he leaned back and closed his eyes. "A girl like you needs to be wooed. At least that's what Gramps and Linda tell me."

"Wooed? Is that really still a word?"

"Yes," Jamie smiled. "I intend to properly woo you, Edit Janko." The last sentence was said slowly and nearly slurred as he relaxed back into the cushions and was quickly drifting away.

"Well alright," Eddie said as she turned to look at his face. His spirit was light hearted but he looked physically exhausted. The stress of the day had taken a heavy toll on him, and she worried that his energy was fading so quickly. "Does that mean that all forms of physical contact are out until then?" she asked.

"Not a chance," he said as he reached over quickly and pulled her in and kissed her deeply. His eyes opened and met hers as they broke apart. "I've waited long enough for that. Stay here tonight," he pleaded.

"Reagan, I'm not going..."

"Just sleep, Janko. No pressure," he laughed. "I'm not ready for anything else. I just want to fall asleep next to you."

"Well good to know, but if you'd let me finish you would have heard me say that I'm not going anywhere. I'm not going to let you stay here alone while you're still sick. I would never do that. Okay with you, Reagan?"

"Yeah, Janko. That's the best thing I've ever heard."

###

Eddie awoke in the darkness with a jump, disoriented for the first few seconds before she realized she was sleeping in Jamie's bed. She reached over to touch him and was startled to find him gone. The alarm clock read 2:52. She groaned and sat up. She had the morning shift and needed to leave in a few hours to stop by her apartment so she could change on the way in. There was a light on in the kitchen and she could hear him coughing a bit and rummaging around out there. She got up and made her way sleepily down the hall.

"Jamie, are you all right?" she asked.

"Hey, oh sorry. Yeah, didn't mean to wake you, I know you need to be into work early." he replied. "I forgot to take the stupid breathing treatment before I fell asleep and my chest was getting tight. Couldn't find the inhaler. I know I packed it here somewhere."

"Try your shirt pocket," she reminded him.

He snapped his fingers. "You're right," he said grinning. "Thanks partner." He quickly located it in the shirt hanging on the back of a chair and took a few puffs then sat down at the table to wait for it to kick in. Eddie slid in across from him, looking pensive.

"What's up?" he asked her.

"Nothing," she hedged as she bit her lip and looked away.

"C'mon, Eddie," he said. "Your poker face is no better than mine."

"I guess that's the point," she started as he gave her an easy opening. "This undercover thing. You're really going through with it? I mean all that stuff that Danny said about the last time... he said you were alone and they almost killed you in a parking lot, then you had a hit put out on you. Did that really happen?"

Jamie would have liked to reach out in that moment and smack Danny upside the head for getting Eddie upset, but decided to come clean with her instead. He looked up and met her eyes, putting his elbows on the table and interlocking his fingers. "Yeah, it happened. Pretty much like he said it did. All of it." He looked down at the table as he rested his chin in one hand and used the other to trace a pattern in the wood with the edge of his thumb. "There's more, but that was the sports center highlight reel."

"A mob family put out a hit on you. The Police Commissioner's son."

"No, ah, well not exactly. They put out a hit on Jimmy Riordan, my alter ego, after they killed Tesla for losing the information I smuggled out of their operation," Jamie confessed.

Eddie just blinked, "Jimmy?"

Jamie felt like he needed to continue, "Yeah, original, right? So um, Dad found out about it and 10-2'd me off patrol and then grounded me at his house until OCCB finished taking down the whole organization."

"And what about the baby in the burning building thing? Or the cut brake lines and the car accident? Why didn't you ever tell me about that?"

"Oh, well I couldn't really talk about the baby because Renzulli kinda took the credit for it to keep my face out of the papers," he admitted. "And the car... that was because of the guys that killed Joe."

There was a heavy silence in the room as they both considered what he had just said.

"So... you're going to go into this alone, again..." Eddie trailed off. "Without a partner. Without me to have your back."

"Is that what's bothering you?" Jamie questioned. "Because the way I see it, you are the one who's going to have my back in this most of the time. I mean, during the day I'll be working literally down the hall from my father and his armed detail. If anyone was going to try something, it won't be at 1PP."

Eddie sat back to absorb the information, and it actually didn't make her feel any better to know he was already running threat assessments on himself. It just made the situation more real and frightening for her. After hearing all of this she felt like there was so much she didn't know about Jamie's life despite spending virtually every day with him stuck in a car for eight to twelve hours each shift for the past two years. He hadn't really opened up about his undercover work with her before. She considered his implication carefully though. "What are you saying, Reagan?" she asked.

"I'm saying I want to be with you, Janko. I want us to be together when we're not at work. Living here I guess because it's bigger than your place and I just renewed the lease a few months ago, but I don't care. I want to be wherever you want to be."

"So you're asking me to move in? What happened to dating and being wooed?" she asked coyly as she fixed a stern gaze on him, and then quickly broke the standoff with a little smirk.

"Oh, I fully intend to woo you to the best of my abilities, Ms. Janko," Jamie smiled as he got up and reached for her hand, raising it to his lips and kissing it softly. He gently took her other wrist and pulled her all the way up to her feet, holding her close, his hands sliding down to her hips, and his lips seeking hers. "I just want to do it... from up close... and personal... every chance... I can get," he breathed between kisses as he worked his way down her neck.

"Okay, okay, down boy," she laughed as she brought her hands up and pushed the two of them apart. She already knew in her heart what her answer would be, but she didn't want to make it seem that easy for him. "I'll consider it, Reagan. You're making it hard to say no to that, but you are going to owe me something spectacularly romantic if you want me to say yes to anything else, and remember, I'm not easy to please. Now let's get back to sleep. I've got an early tour."

Jamie's eyes lit up. "Game on," he thought as he accepted her challenge.


	10. Chapter 10

_Thanks for the reviews and comments! A bit shorter for today's chapter, but things will pick back up shortly..._

* * *

Chapter 10

Detective Abigail Baker's Monday was running along smoothly as she skillfully orchestrated the Commissioner's full morning meeting schedule. She had moved appointees in and out with ease until now. She frowned a little as she checked her watch. The Deputy Commissioner from Legal Matters, Charles "Chuck" Miller's allotted time had run over more than five minutes ago and there was still no sign of him. She decided against trying to push the meeting along, though, as DCPI Moore had been penciled in for the next time slot and she could easily set him back for a few minutes or reschedule without a fuss.

Inside the office, DCLM Miller had just finished with the final point on his agenda, and as was his habit, he made some friendly personal inquiries while he was putting his materials away.

"So Frank, how are things? I saw Erin was able to get a conviction in the DelMarco trial. Another big feather in her cap. That was Danny's case too, wasn't it? You must be proud of them."

"Yes, of course," Frank agreed.

"And Jamie, how is he doing now that he's out of the hospital? He gave you quite the scare. Hell of a thing that happened to him. Is he ready to go back on patrol yet?" Miller inquired.

Frank gave a quiet sigh. "No, not yet. Actually, maybe never. He's talking about leaving the NYPD and going back to law as a legal consultant for now. His doctor won't clear him for duty until Christmas because of the medication he was on, and he's got a girl now so is thinking hard about the future. I'd hate like hell for him to walk away if he doesn't have to."

"He's a top Harvard law graduate," Miller reminded him. "He'll be able to take his pick of offers if that's what he wants to pursue."

"I'm not sure it's so much what he wants, but what he feels he has to do. I'd like for him to be able to stay on the job if he can, it's in his blood, Chuck. I think if I can just put him off until the end of the year he'll be able to see straight and make the right choice."

Charles Miller was a highly successful lawyer himself, and nobody's fool. He realized what he was being steered towards, but he had known the Reagans for a very long time and had always respected the honorable manner they conducted themselves in. What he saw before him was a concerned father looking out for the welfare of his son, and Miller was quite fond of Jamie himself, having followed his path through school closely. He nodded as he met Frank's eye, the rest was just a formality.

Out in the entry, Baker was busy delaying Garrett who had arrived for his meeting. The door to the Commissioner's office opened and Frank escorted Miller out himself. They shook hands as he was leaving.

"Thank you, Chuck," Frank commented. "I really appreciate it."

"Anytime, Frank," Miller replied. "You just have Jamie give me a call sometime this week."

"Will do. Give my best to Janet," Frank concluded as the DCLM stepped on the elevator. Baker sat back down at her desk as Garrett followed his boss back into the office and closed the door.

"What was that all about?" Garrett inquired as he sat down in front of the desk. "Something's up with Jamie?"

Frank sat back in his chair and took his glasses off, rubbing his temples. "Miller's going to interview him for that open temp consulting position in legal," he sighed. "Jamie's still got some health issues, Garrett. His heart... they think something might be wrong with his heart now, but he can't come back on the job until December regardless. He's decided to give up and go back to law, and I guess I'm being selfish. If he does that he could end up anywhere... he has plenty of contacts in California. I don't want him to leave the city... and I'm just not ready to let him walk away from the NYPD."

"Wow," Garrett commented as he sat back in his chair, stunned at what he was hearing. Frank Reagan never used his position that way. "I never thought I would see the day."

Frank frowned as he sat up in his chair and replaced his glasses. "Neither did I," he muttered as he reached for the next folder.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Jamie nervously looked in the mirror as he straightened his tie and made a few last minute adjustments to his hair. It was Thursday morning and he had an appointment at 1PP at eleven o'clock with Deputy Commissioner Miller to discuss the legal consultant position. It had been a long time since he'd gone on an interview, but he wasn't concerned about getting the job, that was pretty much in the bag due in large part to his father of course. What had unsettled him was the fact that he had been forced to go out and buy a new suit in order to camouflage the amount of weight he'd lost as nothing in his closet fit him in any manner that would have worked. It was just another reminder how far his world had been turned upside down as of late. This was about as good as it was going to get today though. He sighed as he fingered his badge where it lay unused on the dresser, sadly tracing the NYPD logo, before putting it in his pocket and turning to make his way out to the living room. It had been an oversight when he was ill, but now that he was resigning from patrol it really needed to be turned in. It may as well be today while he was already down at headquarters. Renzulli had taken his service weapon before the ambulance arrived that day when he had collapsed at the precinct so there was just this loose end to tie up. Eddie could clear out his locker for him.

She looked up from the magazine she was reading on the couch and gave him a low catcall whistle as he passed by, trying to cheer him up. He had been restless all night and spent most of it on the couch. Even though their living arrangement was new, it was surprising to her how much she missed him already when he wasn't there sleeping by her side. She was working the swing shift this week and had spent the previous two mornings sorting through items at her apartment and packing, slowly shifting some of her things over here. Her own lease was up in two months so she wasn't rushed, but had made the decision to move in right away. She knew today was going to be stressful for Jamie though, so she decided to stick around and help see him through it. He gave her a pained half smile as he went into the kitchen.

"What's the matter, babe?" she asked.

"Nothing, it just feels strange to be a suit again," he admitted as he poured a cup of decaf and doled out his morning round of medication, taking them all at once with a small glass of water. A good jolt of caffeine would have been nice about now but regular coffee was also on the banned list.

Eddie got up and moved over to his side and put her arm around the small of his back. "Jamie, are you going to be all right? You look miserable. What is it?"

Without a word he took the badge out of his pocket and laid it on the counter. Eddie picked it up and rubbed the polished metal. She knew what it meant to him and what he was planning on doing with it. With a sad frown and a hug she whispered, "I'm so sorry."

"S'okay," he replied flatly. "It has to be done."

"Are you going to go to the precinct? Renzulli has been wanting to talk to you. I didn't tell him about this, only that you weren't being cleared for duty for a while."

"I wasn't planning on it. Figured I would just drop it off at 1PP while I was there. I... don't know if I can face Sarge or the guys at the 12th right now." He went to the refrigerator to get a few pieces of bread to throw in for toast and grabbed a banana. He had promised himself he would eat at least three meals a day even if he wasn't hungry. Next week's appointment with the cardiologist was weighing heavily on his mind.

"Jamie, let me take you down to your interview today." Eddie insisted. "You're tired and you didn't sleep well last night. Doctor Holden told you not to drive when you're like that. You'll need all your energy for your meeting."

He frowned as looked back at her, "You sound like Danny now." Surprisingly he relented without further protest when he saw the determined set to her jaw, "Okay, Janko. Maybe you're right."

"Don't ever forget that, Reagan," she grinned and grabbed her purse.

###

"Jamie, so good to see you again," Deputy Commissioner Miller greeted him as he was shown into the large corner office. "Please have a seat. So I understand that you are interested in the position we have listed for a legal consultant. You are aware that this is only a temporary opening running from September first through the end of the year."

"Yes, sir," Jamie answered. "I thought it would be a good opportunity to work my way back into the legal field while using my experience from the last five years on patrol. I understand the position requires clearing some of the backlogged cases involving officer disability cases. I believe my background in corporate law at Harvard would qualify for me for that."

"Well to be honest, Jamie," Miller said. "You are probably well over qualified for this job, but I understand from your father that you cannot be cleared by the department to return to duty until this position expires so it does seem like a win-win situation for both of us. I need to have these cases cleared from the books as soon as possible. It seems there has been a rather large glut of them coming in recently. What are your intentions after the first of the year, if I may ask."

"Oh, I haven't had time to give it considerable thought yet," Jamie stated. "But I have several contacts in some major corporate firms in California so I guess I am leaning that way. Might even have to learn how to surf," he quipped.

"You're not planning on returning to patrol, then?" Miller asked. "Your father also mentioned you had been preparing for the sergeant's exam before you became ill."

"Yes, I was," Jamie answered. "At this point I am leaving my options open. Being forced to miss the test this summer set me back again, and I'll have to let the doctor's decide what I'm able to pursue from this point forward."

"Do you think your health concerns will have a bearing in your ability to perform this job?" Miller asked. Anyone could see that Jamie had been greatly affected by the pneumonia.

"No," Jamie said pointedly. "I am feeling better each day, and by the start of next month I don't feel it will be an issue for legal work. It was more the physicality of being a patrol officer the doctors were worried about, that and the blood thinners I had been on when I was sick. The departmental guidelines were clear on when I would be allowed back on duty because of them."

"Very well, then," Deputy Commissioner Miller concluded. "There's no sense in beating around the bush. You have been, by far, the best applicant for this position. It's yours if you want it. I'll have my secretary Amanda get you started on the paperwork and clearances you will need, and I'd like to introduce you to the Deputy Chief, Paul Denison. Most of the cases you will be working on have come through his office and he will oversee you. Your first day to report will be Monday, September first."

"Thank you, sir," Jamie replied as he stood up to shake his hand. "I look forward to it."

###

Eddie was fidgeting in her seat at the coffee shop down the street when her phone buzzed. "Got it," was the message showing from Jamie. "B a while. I'll catch a ride. c u later."

"Well," she thought with some trepidation as she picked up her things and prepared to head off to get ready for her afternoon shift without him. "Here we go."

Jamie spent the next few hours introducing himself to the office staff and completing the new hire paperwork. Although it was located on the same floor as the legal division, he deliberately avoided his father's office when he left, choosing instead to go down two flights of back stairs before walking into the personnel offices on the twelfth floor. How ironic, he thought. There it took him only a few minutes to sign away the last visible trace of himself as a patrol officer as he turned in his resignation from active duty and handed over his badge.

He hit a well-worn number on his speed-dial as he left 1PP. "Hey," he said. "Wanna come over for a beer tonight? We need to talk."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Danny Reagan was balancing a pizza box and a six-pack as he knocked on the door to Jamie's apartment that evening after shift. He had done a pretty thorough job of cleaning out the refrigerator when the kid had been in the hospital, so he knew it had been left devoid of any beer, or just about everything else for the matter. Danny himself had sat there alone several nights and made sure of that personally, taking refuge in the quiet of his brother's space when things had looked their worst. Considering the events of the week, he wasn't taking any chances that Jamie had forgotten to stock back up since coming home.

His brother laughed as he opened the door. "Did ya really think I would have invited you here if I didn't have anything for you?"

"Hey, I wasn't taking any chances. You can't have any alcohol yet anyway so they're mine. Now, what's up?" Danny asked as he set his purchases down. "Is Eddie here?"

"No, she's on swing shift," Jamie answered. He went straight to the point. "I was down at 1PP today."

Danny's brows raised, "And…"

"And I'm in," Jamie said.

Danny sat down and pulled out a slice then cracked open one of the cans and took a long drink. "All right, let's hear it. What did you get?"

"Not much of anything yet," Jamie admitted. "Just met with Miller and mostly filled out paperwork and such. Made a few introductions. I won't start there until the first."

"But…" Danny prodded.

"I dunno… got a weird vibe from the guy who's going to be my supervisor, Deputy Chief Paul Denison. He's tied to a lot of cases from the disability department and if there is a link to what's going on, I'm betting it somehow comes through his office. Thought he was going to blow a pupil when Miller introduced me as the new hire and the Commissioner's son." Jamie turned away from his brother and leaned on the counter by the sink. "I need you do pull up some background on him for me now that I'm officially resigned from patrol," he sighed. "Turned in my badge on the way out."

Danny paused and let that sink in. All these years he had thought he would be so happy to hear that, and yet now it had just dropped a huge pit in his stomach and killed his appetite. He put the pizza down. "Damn, kid. I'm sorry about that." His thoughts soon went back to the case, though. "Do you think this Denison guy sees you as a threat?" he asked with concern.

"Yeah well, if he doesn't now he will when I'm working there, I guess. Hard for him to take it any other way if he's dirty, unless he just thinks he has the worst luck ever. I tried to downplay this as just a temporary step; told him I was fishing for a job in corporate law in California through Spencer. I'm hoping he buys it and leaves his guard down."

Danny considered what his brother had just told him. He knew when Jamie worked undercover he always added enough tidbits of truth to any background story he told to make it believable. Spencer Croft was Jamie's roommate from Harvard and had been his best friend for many years. He was now successful with a venture capital firm out west. The older brother had a sudden sinking feeling. "Would you?" he asked.

"Would I what, Daniel?" Jamie looked at him, puzzled.

"Would you leave the city and move away from here like that?"

"Danny, we're supposed to be focusing on this case right now." Jamie paused as he saw the grim set on his brother's face, and then relented. "California? Yeah okay, I'm considering it. I can hit the ground running out there. I've had offers from three major firms outside of LA in the past. With Spence putting in a good word, it wouldn't take much, even with the detour I took for the last six years. New York could be a harder sell, what with dad being PC and all the tabloid press I've had because of it. Could go either way here." He paused, "Can we please concentrate on one thing at a time? And don't be running to dad, grandpa or Erin with this. It's not even on my radar yet."

"Except that it is," Danny pointed out the obvious.

"Okay, it is," Jamie conceded, shaking his head. "But I need to get past the next four months first. If I get close to them and anything is going to happen, it isn't going to be down the hall from dad at 1PP," he said as repeated the previous thoughts he'd shared with Eddie. She was living here with him now and he felt a protective surge well up in him. "And it's not like I'll be roaming around armed and in a bulletproof vest most of the day. It's not just me anymore. Eddie is moving in here and I need to keep the two of us safe."

"Alright," Danny frowned as he rubbed his face and sat back in the chair. "Let's figure out what these bastards might do. Toss me another beer."

They were just wrapping up their plans when Eddie arrived back at the apartment after her shift.

Danny stayed a few minutes and then said goodnight and made his way out. He was careful to take his remaining beer with him. After some of the things they had discussed he was sure his brother would have been tempted to knock at least one back. Hell, he planned to have another when he got home at this point. Considering he had off the following day, he might even make that two.

"Everything okay?" Eddie asked after the door shut, wondering how the events of the day had affected Jamie.

"Yeah," he replied tiredly as he smiled and gave her a hug and a kiss. "Everything's just fine now. We'll talk about it tomorrow. I'm so glad you're home. How was your tour?"

###

Across town there was another pair breaking up, but neither one was leaving their meeting place in a very good mood. Paul Denison had hastily called for the conference after receiving the shocking news that the PC's Harvard-educated son had been appointed to work under him in the department. The timing could not be worse. The whole scheme he had developed over the course of the last three years was due to culminate in one final huge payoff in December after the Michael's trial wrapped up in court, and the last thing he needed was a former cop with intimate ties to the Police Commissioner nosing around his department.

He had been cursing the Reagan name under his breath earlier as he cautiously swept the room for listening devices when his partner arrived and he explained the new complication.

The old man started in immediately, shaking his fist in anger. "Dammit, Paul! I told you they would be on to us! Should've been happy with the money we were pulling in before, but NO! You needed to go in for the big score! We're gonna get caught now!"

"Relax," Denison said. "There's no way they've figured anything out. My source in the mayor's office told me all the budget projections were approved by both sides last week. If anyone was suspicious it would have been hung up."

"So what's the damn PC's kid doing poking his nose into this now?" the old man growled.

"He's not," Denison said. "We've just gotten too good at this and I'm behind on the legit cases. Miller put in for a temp legal consultant to clear those before the new year. That's what he's going to be working on. He won't find anything on us there, besides if you take one look at him you can see the high and mighty Frank Reagan is only using his pull to put him in there because his precious son can't do anything else. He got sick on the job a couple months ago and looks like someone ought to put him out of his misery already."

"Maybe someone should."

"Someone _will_ if it comes down to that, believe me," Denison promised. "I've put too much work into this. When the ruling comes down in the Michael's trial I'll have millions wired into an offshore account and we'll be on the next plane to some lovely little island with no extradition policy." He sneered as he added, "And I promise you... no one, not even the PC's little Harvard boy is going to get in the way of that."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Jamie made his way through a crowded bar near the 12th precinct on Friday night, sliding onto a stool and ordering a soda. Given the circumstances he wished, and not for the first time lately, that he could mix a little hard liquor in with it. This teetotaler approach was getting really old. He wasn't alone for long before a familiar figure predictably appeared on the seat next to him. He looked sideways and gave the man a small smirk. He had banked on finding him here tonight. "What can I get you, Sarge?"

Anthony Renzulli put his elbows on the bar and took a good hard look at his old boot. He wasn't happy with what he saw. The kid still looked, for the most part, like crap. "What are you drinking, Harvard?" he asked.

"Coke," was Jamie's reply.

"I'll take what he's having," Renzulli motioned to the bartender. "Just don't forget to put the rum in mine. And double it." The tension carried over between the two, as they both remained silent.

When the drink finally came Renzulli stirred it absentmindedly, not really believing that after all this time he was about to have this conversation with his old partner. "So guess what came across my desk today?" he started.

"I can imagine," Jamie said while looking straight ahead and taking another swig of his soda out of habit. He had been dreading this since turning in his badge the day before.

"A resignation form for one patrol officer, Jamison H. Reagan."

"Sarge...

"No warning, nothing, nadda. Just a freaking piece of paper telling me the best rookie I ever trained up and quit without notice. Didn't even give me the respect of turning in his badge in person; you dropped it off at 1PP." Renzulli rocked back in his seat and shook his head. "What the hell's with you, kid? The buzz through the grapevine is you're headed for legal," he growled. "That's what you want now, to be a suit? After all the work I put into you?"

Jamie turned on his stool to face him. "No, Sarge," he said forcefully. "It's not what I want at all. It's…" he turned the chair to the front again and finished with a smaller voice. "It's all I have left."

"Reagan…"

"I'm sorry, Sarge," Jamie said, shaking his head and fiddling with the coaster. "I wanted to tell you… I did… I just couldn't come down to the precinct to do it."

Renzulli's heart softened when he saw Jamie's slumped shoulders and defeated posture. "It's that bad, then," he asked sadly.

"Yeah," Jamie answered. "My heart… now it looks like there's something's wrong with that. I won't know for sure for a while, but I was definitely off duty until at least December… and that was the best-case scenario. Nothing's really worked out to be the best case for me lately, has it?"

"You lived... Jamie, you lived when they said you wouldn't and you have Janko, now."

"Except that I guess, yeah," Jamie nodded as he drained his glass. That was certainly the truth.

Renzulli just shook his head and played with the ice in his drink. "So what are you gonna do? What's your old man and Danny think?"

"Dad has me taking this temp consulting job in legal. I think he's hoping to put me off making any permanent moves until we know exactly what I'm up against. Danny... he's always wanted me behind a desk somewhere anyway."

"Your dad, you know it sounds like a good plan. You can apply for reinstatement any time within a year and not lose your seniority when you come back on patrol." Renzulli was putting his sergeant's hat back on, hoping to keep Jamie on the job. He hated the thought of the kid just walking away, but from the look on his former partner's face; that was the plan. He gave in and added, "You need anything, Harvard, anything at all, you come find me. The 12th won't be the same without you."

Jamie just forced a sad smile at him as he got up off the stool and put money down on the bar for the tab. "Thanks, Sarge," he said as he gave him a tap on the shoulder. "I guess I'll see you around."

###

Sunday's dinner started off very subdued that week. There were no loud family discussions at all; even the normal banter between Erin and Danny was tempered. It was if each of the Reagans had concluded a respite was needed after the stress of the past few months; that and no one dared bring up the fact that Jamie had resigned from duty just a few days earlier. The look on his face when he had walked in the door earlier had been enough to silence everyone on the topic, even Jack and Sean, who had been sternly forewarned by their mother during the car ride over.

Instead it was Eddie who broke the silence. "Linda," she said, while keenly aware that aside of her Jamie had just been picking at his dinner, "you'll have to give me the recipe for this chicken. It's simply delicious."

Linda smiled back and said, "I'll be happy to write it down for you, Eddie. It was Grandma Betty's recipe and it's one of Jamie's favorites." Despite the mention of his name, he did not look up and just continued to push the food around on his plate. Frank looked over at his youngest son with concern but said nothing.

Henry, however, was not going to let his grandson off that easy. "How did things go for you back at your apartment this week, Jamie?" he asked worriedly. "Sleeping okay?"

"Oh, good. I mean, yes," Jamie said, reaching over to squeeze Eddie's hand under the table. "I mean it's nice to have someone there with me, you know..." he trailed off, embarrassed at where his mind had gone immediately and not sure what else to say. Having Eddie there with him had been a godsend, but he had never been one to reveal much about his personal life. They had been taking the physical aspect of the relationship slowly, but it was only a matter of time now as it was getting harder to resist each other.

Henry just grunted. Despite his own worries, Frank had managed to keep his father away from Jamie's place all week. He knew his son had faced some tough issues and that his youngest could react badly to being smothered with too much attention. He could see that Jamie was not ready to discuss much more, so he quickly cut Henry off and turned the conversation to something more neutral, "How about those Jets? I heard they finally signed the new wide receiver from Denver..." The rest of the conversation around dinner was livelier, focused on the hopes and dreams for their favorite team's success in the upcoming NFL season. It wasn't until afterwards when Jamie had excused himself to go sit on the back steps to watch Nicki, Jack and Sean play basketball that his father dared bring any questions up again.

"How's he really doing?" Frank asked Eddie as the two of them washed dishes and watched the scene out of the kitchen window. Despite being a newcomer, Eddie had settled right into the usual Reagan Sunday routine.

"He has good days and bad days," Eddie answered honestly. "He's been pretty depressed though since he turned in his badge and met with Renzulli the other day. That and he's mostly worried about his appointment with the cardiologist on Wednesday." She automatically dried the wet dish Frank handed her and set it down in the cupboard. "Plus his mind has been turning nonstop about the interview at legal. I don't know what to say to him sometimes. He's really inside his own head right now. I just know it's been a very hard week for him."

"Yeah well, he's been thinking about a lot of things, Dad," Danny chimed in as he made his way through the room. "Talked about Spencer out in California when I was there the other night, not that you heard it from me."

Frank's heart stuttered. He had been afraid of that since the moment Jamie had told him about going back to law. He would never purposefully stand directly in the way of his son's career and he knew where Jamie's best opportunities were, but the thought of him moving so far away... about more empty chairs at Sunday dinner, greatly saddened him. It was selfish he knew, but it was important to him to keep his family close.

"So what are you going to do about it, Francis?" Henry asked as he joined them at the window as Jamie watched quietly from the sidelines as his niece and nephews were having fun.

"I'm not sure, Pop," Frank answered thoughtfully. "I guess I'll take him fishing off the pier this week sometime and figure it out."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Jamie threw his keys in the bowl on the little table by the door as he and Eddie made their way back into the apartment after dinner. It had been a long day and he was tired. His shoes were next as he kicked them off and collapsed full length on the couch with a small moan that Eddie could hear from the kitchen as she put away the leftovers they had been sent home with. Henry had been busy before they left, packing up enough food to last them several days. She caught sight of Jamie's medication sitting on the counter.

"Hey, Reagan," she scolded, "before you fall asleep you need to take your pills and your breathing treatment if you need it or you'll wake up in the middle of the night again."

"I _don't_ wanna," he whined back petulantly like a small child. He was sick of the regimen and whatever the cardiologist had prescribed that made him feel like his brain was caught in a fog half the time.

"Jamison, please," Eddie started as she grabbed the meds and made her way over to the couch with a small glass of water and sat down on the edge of the coffee table next to him. Jamie resigned himself to a lost battle and dutifully sat up and took the pills, glaring at her before throwing himself back down on the cushion and covering his eyes in the crook of his elbow.

"Geez Reagan, I'm gonna remind you about this someday when our kid is sick and decides to have a temper tantrum."

"Our kid," he repeated as he peeked an eye open from underneath his arm and smirked at her. "Did I actually just hear Edit Janko admit that she's thinking ahead and planning on having a baby with me?" he said playfully as he reached over and grabbed her arm, laughing and pulling her onto the couch on top of him.

"Yeah well, not any time soon so don't get any ideas," she countered as she halfheartedly tried to free herself as he drew her in closer and they began kissing. It quickly intensified to a level they had not reached before as hands began to slide dangerously under clothing, caressing bare skin.

"Practice makes perfect," he sighed contently as he paused and looked up into her eyes and brushed her hair to the side with one hand. "I'm ready when you are."

"You're sure?" she asked as he groaned while she fingered his belt and pulled the rest of his shirt out.

"Without a doubt," he offered as he pushed her to the side and stood up, lifting her to her feet and leading her towards the bedroom as his hands began to unbutton her blouse. "But not out here on the couch like two lovesick teenagers."

Late in the evening when they had finally broken apart, thoroughly exhausted and satisfied, and were drifting off to sleep folded into one another, Jamie felt a deep sort of peace settle down in his heart. Something that had been missing well before he had become sick. If he was honest with himself it was something he had never felt before, not even when his family had been whole and he had been with Sydney. Eddie completed him in some very deep and intrinsic way, and all he could picture, as he snuggled up against her and smelled the sweet vanilla scent of her shampoo, was a lifetime together filled with love and a family of their own. A smile rolled across his face and a thought crossed his mind as he recalled their previous conversation. Suddenly he knew exactly what he was going to do.

###

"Okay Mr. Reagan, please take this gown and strip down. You can leave your boxers on and there is a sheet to cover up with. Opening in the front please. I'll be back shortly to get you hooked up to the EKG and the doctor will be with you in a few minutes," the nurse said as she handed Jamie the items and made her way out of the exam room.

Jamie gave Eddie an impish grin as the door closed. "Now control yourself, Janko. She said she'd be right back," he snickered as he set about changing, pulling off his shirt and dropping his cargo shorts. Eddie just snorted and shook her head as she looked over from her chair and flipped another page in her magazine. She was finding it hard to resist him now as the last few days since they had broken the physical barrier had been active, to say the least. She quickly bit her lip in worry though, afraid of what they would hear in the next few minutes. Jamie had asked her to come to his doctor's appointment for moral support, but the truth was she needed to be here with him as much as he needed her.

The room was quiet as he settled back down on the exam table and sighed nervously. "I'll be glad when this is over," he said, and then added quietly, "I hope."

Eddie nodded and they both jumped a little as the nurse knocked on the door and returned. "All right Mr. Reagan..." she started.

"Jamie, please," he interjected. "Mr. Reagan sounds like my father."

"Okay, Jamie," she continued with a smile as she pulled out some packages and put them on the bed. "Now please lay back and I'll get you hooked up to the monitor. Try to relax so we get a few minutes of normal rhythm to look at." She efficiently applied the leads and soon there was a soft beeping emanating from the EKG. She pulled an ultrasound machine over to the bedside and quickly set it up. "There we go. Dr. Abrams will be here in shortly to take a look but I am going to get a few images for him first. Just lay still now. This won't hurt at all."

Jamie glanced over at Eddie before sinking his head back in the pillow and focusing his eyes on the ceiling. "Here we go," he thought, praying for good news as he closed his eyes. She nervously rolled up the magazine and gripped it, trying to read the nurse's expression as she applied gel to Jamie's chest and began moving the wand around. There was nothing definite but Eddie thought she had detected a small frown on the woman's face as she focused on one area and clicked the button to capture some images. She was still working as the doctor came in. The printer softly whirred as it produced hardcopies of the scans.

"Jamie, it's good to see you," Dr. Abrams commented as he walked in the door with a chart in his hand. "And you too, Officer Janko," he added, remembering her constant presence at the hospital when Jamie had been ill. He set the folder down while pulling up a stool and examining the length of heart rhythm tape. "Hmm, so here is the EKG..." he said almost to himself as he slid the stool over closer to the ultrasound. "Just hold still and let's have a look at the heart itself," he muttered as he looked at the printed roll of shots the nurse offered before taking the wand himself and focusing on the live screen. Eddie's face fell as she saw the doctor's expression. He frowned as he put the equipment down after a few minutes and his nurse started wiping up the gel with a towel.

"So what's the verdict, doc?" Jamie asked as he opened his eyes and looked over.

"What I am seeing today confirms your last test results," Dr. Abrams answered pointedly. "There is some enlargement in specific areas of your heart, and it's a bit more advanced than initially noted on Dr. Holden's scans."

"How bad?" Jamie demanded as he quickly glanced over worriedly at Eddie. She had closed her eyes and was leaning back up against the wall, shaking her head. He focused back on the doctor's face.

"Well at this point it still looks like something we can still treat medically," the doctor explained. "This was likely caused by the strain it was under when your oxygen levels were low and the arrhythmias during your ECMO treatment. That coupled with the fact that you've become quite anemic since your illness. Your heart has had to work extra hard to pump enough blood to compensate for all of that and it has weakened to some extent."

"So what does this mean, then," Jamie asked sadly, now staring straight ahead wondering if he would ever get good news at one of these appointments again.

"We need to treat this aggressively so that there is no permanent damage," the doctor replied. "I am going to adjust your medication to help your heart beat more efficiently and we need to get your iron levels up quickly so we are going to put you on an IV for that today. That and you will need to limit the strain you put yourself under. I see from your records that you cannot be cleared for duty until December. That's good. You should not be working at all for the next several months and you must avoid all undue stress and strenuous physical activity to avoid permanently damaging your heart." He paused when he saw the dejected look on Jamie's face. "I know this is difficult to hear, but I am confident if you adhere to these recommendations we can have you back close to a hundred percent by the end of the year."

Jamie just frowned and nodded. He was speechless. Again. Overwhelmed at what a small twist of fate had thrown at him.

"What happens if he doesn't listen to you?" Eddie spoke up behind them in a sad voice. She knew how stubborn Jamie was. They had just started their lives together and her mind was on his new job and the risks he would be taking.

"Jamie," Dr. Abrams said as he swung back around to look at him sternly. "It is very important that you follow my directions on this. If you don't it could lead to long term heart failure or worse."

"Worse?" Eddie piped back in immediately with concern. Jamie was still silent and was subtly tuning Abram's voice out. His mind had drifted ahead to the winter and the plans he had been making. He needed to talk to his dad about something.

"Yes," the doctor said. "If you do not follow these guidelines you are at increased risk for complications such as sudden cardiac arrest. Your heart could fail without warning. It is imperative that you follow my directives explicitly. Do you understand?"

"I understand," Jamie said sharply as he snapped back to the present. "I do," he said directly to Eddie as he saw the look on her face. "I know what I have to do."

"Alright then," Dr. Abrams said. "The nurse will be back with that IV we discussed. It will take at least an hour to run in. In the meantime I am going to write up detailed instructions for you and get your medication adjusted. You will have follow up appointments with me every two weeks until we see some progress in your condition." He stood up and shook Jamie's hand. "I know this is tough news to hear for an active young man like yourself, but believe me if you are proactive in this we can have you well again in no time."

The doctor left and the nurse was back in immediately, setting up the required IV. He flinched as the needle went into his hand and rolled his eyes. "Damn it," he thought as it burned, "quit being such a baby." But that one had hurt more than it should have and left him angry. His jaw was clenched.

"Now Jamie, you just lay back and relax until that's done," she said, adjusting the flow. "You may feel lightheaded for a time so it's good you have somebody here to drive you home. I'll come back and check in a few minutes. Is there anything I can get for you now?"

"No, thanks," he resigned as he stared up at the ceiling once more.

Eddie quickly moved over and grabbed his free hand as soon as they were alone. "Jamie," she said firmly as she stroked his head with her other hand. "Now promise you're gonna listen to the doctor and do what he says. Nothing else is important."

"Yeah, I know," he said softly without looking at her; not wanting to start that conversation here because there were so many other things that were more important to him right now.


	15. Chapter 15

_Thank goodness the site seems to be back up for posting! I was bummed yesterday although the outage did spark my muse and I actually wrote the first few chapters for the next story in this series. Back to this one now though..._

* * *

Chapter 15

Jamie stepped onto the pier in the early evening light, nodding to his father's security detail as he made his way towards the solitary figure up ahead. Frank had texted an invitation to come fishing with him not long after they'd returned to the apartment from the doctor's appointment. Eddie had shaken her head in opposition; she thought he should rest at home after the treatment he'd received, but Jamie had convinced her it would be better if he went ahead and talked to his father in person so she finally agreed to drop him off and come back in an hour or so. Frank Reagan had a standard way of communicating with his kids. They all cringed inwardly if he invited them into his office and asked them to close the door. That one never got easier no matter how old they were. If instead he showed up on short notice with coffee or something to eat in his hand, he was about to drop some unwanted news so it gave them a few seconds to prepare. Fishing off the pier, now that's something he did when he wanted to have a serious conversation with either Jamie or Erin to judge where they were at with something. Danny was hopeless in that regard; he had the attention span of a gnat according to his father. His oldest was always asked to meet his father for a drink at a local bar instead. Whatever the approach, when their father asked for an audience, no one ever considered putting him off.

Frank turned around at the approaching footsteps and greeted his son with a warm smile. He scanned Jamie's face quickly to judge how the appointment had gone, but found it unreadable which immediately troubled him.

"Hey, Dad," Jamie said as he neared the end of the pier. "Anything biting?"

"Not yet," his father replied as he reached over to hand him a rod that was already set up. "How did things go with the doctor today?" he asked, cutting immediately to the point. It had gnawed at him all week and for once he wasn't prepared to be patient any longer.

His son's silence and dropped expression told him all he needed to know, but he waited for it anyway.

"Not great," was all that was offered at first in a defeated voice. Frank swallowed hard and frowned as he turned back to the harbor and waited. There would be more, he just wasn't sure if he wanted to hear it.

Jamie gathered himself as he cast his line. "So, Dr. Abrams did an ultrasound and confirmed that there is some damage," he admitted. "But he said it's treatable right now," he quickly added as he swayed slightly, grabbing the railing and fighting to keep his mind on point. He was feeling lightheaded suddenly as black dots swam in his vision; those damn side effects the nurse had warned about. The sun was bouncing off the waves in a mesmerizing pattern and he wanted to lose himself in it. Anything was better than talking about this.

"Treatable how?" Frank asked, afraid for once to look at Jamie and not noticing his son's sudden dizzy spell as he slowly reeled his line in, one click at a time, bouncing it along automatically to entice a bite.

"Oh, um, just rest, different meds. Stuff like that," Jamie hedged as he tried to refocus, blinking hard and letting his bait sink to the bottom as he snugged up the line. "He gave me an IV today to bring my iron level up. He said I'm really anemic and my heart is having to work too hard right now to keep my oxygen levels high enough, but if the treatment is successful I'll be okay by the end of the year."

Frank's finished bringing his lure in and raised his pole to cast again. "So what aren't you telling me?" he asked, careful not to let his voice break or let his son see that his hands were trembling.

Jamie had lost most of his resolve by this point, and knew better than to try to keep too much from his father. Right now he was just happy he was still on his feet; taking a nose dive onto the pier probably wouldn't go over too well and would definitely hurt his cause. "He said I needed to avoid any physical stress and if I don't adhere to his instructions, I'm risking long term heart failure or worse," he answered truthfully. With that said, he figured he might as well go for broke and drop the big bomb; taking a deep breath he continued, "He said I could have a sudden heart attack otherwise."

With that revelation Frank stopped everything and turned to face his son. His handsome and charismatic boy. Mary's baby. Jamie's eyes were down as he leaned heavily against the rail and was entirely focused on the point where his fishing line disappeared into the water. "Jamie..." he started in a firm voice.

"Don't say it, Dad," Jamie countered quickly, knowing where the conversation was headed. "I'll be careful, but I am not backing out of the investigation."

"The hell you're not!" came the expected gruff reply. His father's voice was raised and Jamie could see a clear flash of where Danny had inherited his temper. Frank rarely used that tone with his youngest son. It took everything he had not to back down.

"The doctor said no strenuous physical activity, Dad," Jamie said, conveniently forgetting to mention the part about undue stress. "I'll be in an office down the hall from you pushing papers around. I've seen the cases I'll be working on. They're easy. I could run them in my sleep," he added. "Please Dad, I want to do this. I've already got an idea of who to look at. I just need a few weeks to poke around the files a little bit to figure out what he's up to."

"Who?"

"Denison, the Deputy Chief. All of a sudden he has too many cases to handle and they needed to hire someone to clean up after him. Something's up," Jamie concluded. "Danny's running some background on him. Do you know anything?"

Frank pursed his lips and thought about it. Paul Denison had been with the department for many years but his annual performance reviews had been slipping just a little as of late. He was Chuck Miller's right hand man though. As sharp as the Deputy Commissioner was, Frank found it hard to believe that his hand picked protege was behind a major corruption scandal. "He's been there for years," he said. "You really think it's him?" he asked, amazed that his son could pick something like that out from a brief meeting when it had been directly in front of him all this time.

"Yeah, I do," Jamie said, pleased with the fact that he has distracted his father long enough to get him talking about the case. Had they stayed on the topic of his health he was sure he would have been back at the house already, tucked into his old bed with his grandfather standing guard outside the door.

Frank was not going to be put off so easily though. He reeled his line in and put the rod up against railing as he sat down on a nearby bench. "Come here, we need to talk," he said wearily. The sun was setting on the horizon in a glorious orange ball. Jamie gratefully complied with the order, hoping his vision would stop spinning as he settled down next to him. Frank couldn't count the number of times the two of them had sat together on that exact bench over the years. It was their go to spot and had been where Jamie revealed that he had applied to the academy after Joe died, and where they had first discussed his undercover work with the Sanfinos among other things.

"Why is this so important to you that you are willing to risk your health," Frank asked pointedly.

Jamie stuffed his hands in his pockets and slid back further in his seat, closing his eyes. He was starting to feel a little better. "I dunno, Dad," he said honestly, taking his time. "I guess maybe I'm seeing this as my last chance to do something real for the family legacy. I mean you and Gramps were commissioners, Danny is a great detective and just won the medal of valor, Joe gave his life for the NYPD. You were all decorated marines. I'm just the patrol guy that went to Harvard, never got promoted, got sick and had to be a lawyer again."

"Jamie, you're so much more than that!" Frank exclaimed looking at his son; saddened that he felt that way. "You've excelled at everything. We've always been so proud of you and you have been an outstanding officer. No one else in the family has done the things that you have. The rest of us, we all just sort of followed each other. You made your own path."

"I disappointed you and mom though," Jamie said with his eyes down.

"Never," Frank said, shaking his head. "Son, your mother would be the first one to tell you all she ever wanted for you was to be happy. Like I told you before, that was not our choice to make, it was always yours. I may have been disappointed in the decision at first, but never in you."

"I am though," Jamie said with a small smile, "happy that is. Even after all that's happened I finally feel like some part of me is happy for the first time."

"Eddie," his father deduced.

Jamie just smiled, "Yeah."

It was quiet for a few minutes, the only sound being the waves lapping up against the pier. "I trust you'll be careful then, and pull yourself out if it's too much," Frank finally conceded. Now that he understood where Jamie was coming from it was difficult for him to say no, although there was going to be hell to pay when the rest of the family heard about it.

"I swear I will, Dad."

Frank paused, and then figured he would tackle the last big elephant in the room. "And what are your plans after it wraps up?"

Jamie sighed; this had Danny written all over it. "I haven't decided yet. Depends what happens I guess. I have to keep all of my options open."

"Including California?"

"Yes, if it came to that and Eddie was willing to move," Jamie admitted. "I have to think of her now, too."

They both sat quietly again for a time, taking in the sunset and digesting the events of the day. Jamie's head had finally cleared. Frank was still somewhat shocked at what he had agreed to, considering what his son had been told about his health, but part of him felt he needed to put off the inevitable; that if he put his foot down now his youngest would be that much closer to moving away. That honestly scared him almost as much as anything else. He was preoccupied wondering about what the reaction of the rest of the family was going to be to all this when Jamie spoke up again.

"Dad, about Eddie, I need your help with something important..."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

"You ARE NOT serious!" Eddie spat at him in the car on the way home from the pier. Jamie wasn't sure but he thought that the emotion that spilled from her blue eyes was even more intense than his father's. "Did you really tell your dad what the doctor said today? Because I was there and will play it back to him word for word if you didn't!" She had been positive that she didn't need to worry; that Frank would have instantly pulled the plug on this whole undercover situation after hearing about Dr. Abrams' warnings. Her only focus was on getting Jamie well again, that was if she didn't kill him first for being such an idiot.

"Eddie…" he started, but she cut him off with another stone cold glare.

"NO!" she said, scrunching up her face and forcing back the tears. "I don't know what's with you Reagan, but I'm sure as hell not gonna do this here in the car while I'm driving. So just shut up right now, and we'll talk about it at home when we've both cooled down." By both, Jamie was pretty certain she was only referring to herself, as he practically had to suppress a shiver while there was a heat wave reflecting back at him from the other side of the car. He dutifully stayed quiet and waited for her next move until they arrived back at the apartment. This wasn't his first rodeo with a temperamental loved one, and he knew it was going to take some finesse. He hadn't seen her this wound up in a long time, but he was sure he could get her to talk if he just gave her a chance to calm down first. No sense stoking the fire.

He sat quietly on the couch as Eddie paced through the apartment, slamming things and muttering to herself. When she finally joined him in the living room and sat down across from him on the chair he knew it was time to restart the conversation.

"Why now?" she asked in a more even tone as she forced herself to be composed. "Why can't it wait until you are well? You said yourself this has probably been going on for years. Another four months or so isn't going to be the end of the world."

"But my opportunity to get into the legal department will be gone by then," Jamie argued reasonably. "The consulting position won't be available. Besides, something big must be coming up or this guy, Denison, wouldn't have gotten so sloppy covering his other cases."

"So screw it then," she snapped. "Let someone else handle it. I don't understand why this is so important to you. I mean the doctor basically said you could have a heart attack, Jamie," she shuddered. "I just got you back. You don't know what I went through watching you hooked up to all those machines in the hospital... watching them shove a tube down your throat to breathe for you and not knowing if the next time the heart monitor went off they were going to be able to bring you back or not." Jamie's resolve broke as she started shaking and he rushed over to her side. "I thought you were going to die right in front of me. I honestly don't think I will ever get over something like that," she sobbed.

"Hey, oh God no, Eddie, please stop," Jamie said as he pulled her into his shoulder and kissed the top of her head. "Please... you're the most important thing in my life right now. I promise..." he pulled her chin up and looked directly into her eyes, "I promise you. I'm not going to do anything stupid. I'm just going to go in there for a couple weeks and look around the files a little. That's all. If you think it's too much for me or the doc thinks I'm not getting better, I swear I'll walk away and not look back."

Eddie heard his words and wanted to believe them, but all the emotions she had bottled up since that first day when he had collapsed at the precinct were flooding out now and she didn't know how to control them. She never wanted to feel that fear again and yet here he was, stubbornly putting his life on the line again on some sort of hero principle. It was too much.

"I can't," she said, getting up and going into the kitchen to find her purse and keys. "I won't. Your brother is right, you've used up all of your lives and I can't be here to watch something happen to you again. You Reagans always seem to have some kind of death wish." With that she left the apartment, slamming the door behind her; knowing the pain it had caused him by the look on his face. That had been a really low blow. She hesitated for a second and turned around before leaving, but shook her head and headed for the elevator anyway.

Jamie just sank back on the couch with his hands crossed over his forehead and let her go.

###

Wilson was exceptionally quiet as he tiptoed through the morning of their shift on Thursday. It was obvious from her demeanor that Eddie was upset about something outside of work and he had been married long enough to know when to let things slide around a woman. It had been a relatively light day so far so there was no issue until they rolled up to the scene of an armed robbery at a bodega at the corner of 9th and Piedmont just before lunch. They were the second unit in and were assigned to cordoning off the area by Sergeant Renzulli who was already at the location with his new trainee.

Eddie was busy stringing out the caution tape and wrapping it around a banister when she heard a familiar voice call over to her from the other side of the street. She looked up to see Danny making his way towards her. "Terrific," she sighed as she shook her head. "I wonder what he's heard." Despite her snide thoughts, after a night alone at her apartment and a morning on shift, her anger had begun to soften, and she had some serious regrets with the way she'd handled the situation. Jamie had maintained radio silence, there hadn't been a call or text from him, and she had been more tempted to break the stalemate the longer the day went.

"Detective Reagan," she greeted him more formally than usual as he neared. He didn't seem to notice.

"Hey, Eddie," he said as he stepped up on the curb, "I was just wondering how Jamie's appointment went yesterday."

She just looked at him a little incredulously, surprised that the whole Reagan clan hadn't been informed already given the fact that Jamie had spoken to his father. "You haven't heard?" she asked.

"No... um, why?" Danny puzzled as he tried to read her expression. "I tried Jamie on his cell last night but it went straight to voicemail, and then I was busy with an overnight bust on a big case and I only grabbed a few hours of sleep. Is there something wrong?"

"Danny..." she started. Suddenly a little bit of worry crept into her thoughts; she shouldn't have left Jamie alone last night. She'd promised him she would never do that while he was sick. "I'm sorry, Danny. Jamie and I had a big fight last night and I left. You really need to talk to him or your dad. I said something stupid and I'm not sure..." she paused as she started to walk away. "I think I really screwed up. You should talk to him."

"Wait!" Danny said as he grabbed her arm. "Jesus, was it bad news?" he worried.

"Yeah, um, it wasn't great. They saw damage on the scan but the doctor says they can still treat it. But, yeah, it could be serious. I just... didn't handle things well," she admitted. "I'm sorry."

"Hey, no. God knows I've been there with him myself; I don't know how many times," Danny admitted. "Jamie loves you, Eddie. You gotta believe that. Whatever happened between the two of you... he would move heaven and earth to make it right. You know that. Just go talk to him. Sometimes when he's hurt he just shuts everyone else out."

She managed a small smile. "You're probably right," she said. "We're coming up on our meal as soon as I'm done here and I'll give him a call and apologize."

"That's good," Danny said, running his hand anxiously over his head and pulling out his phone as he watched her walk away. He was off shift in just a few minutes and knew exactly where his first stop would be.

###

Jamie was just getting out of the shower when he heard a knock. He quickly pulled on some sweats and a shirt; glancing at his phone on the counter as he made his way over to answer the door and saw he had just missed call from Eddie. He'd been anxiously waiting to hear from her all morning. "Oh, damn it!" he said as he picked it up to call her back and was about to ignore the door when the knocking became more insistent. "Danny," he thought, knowing he had no choice but to open it now. "Come on in big brother," he offered as he unlocked it and swung it open as he walked away without even checking to see who was there.

"Is that your idea of security?" Danny bristled on his way in. "Just open the door to anyone without even looking?"

"I know the knock, Danny. Couldn't have been anyone but you," Jamie absentmindedly answered. He was busy sending a text before he missed Eddie's break completely.

" _I'm sorry for what happened. Danny's here. Talk later?"_ it said.

" _me 2, b home 2night"_ came the immediate reply back.

Jamie let out a big relieved sigh and rubbed the palms of his hands over his eyes until he saw stars. It had been a long night and he hadn't slept really at all, but he couldn't bring himself to be the first to blink after what had been said. It was Eddie's flash of anger, and although he understood to a degree, she was the one who had to make an attempt first; Reagan family protocol was at play. He made his way over to the couch to lay down, exhausted.

"Ready to kiss and make up?" Danny smirked as he took a seat on a stool by the breakfast counter.

"How'd you know?" came the muffled voice from the other room.

"I ran into her at a 10-20 down at the bodega on 9th just a bit ago," Danny answered. "She looked as bad as you do. Wanna talk about it?"

"Not really"

"She told me about the doc yesterday. I called dad on the way over here and got the rest of it," Danny ignored him and continued on anyway. He frowned. "I guess I know what the fight was about."

"Yeah, don't start," came a weary warning.

"Not gonna," the older man replied as he got up and went into the living room to sit on the coffee table and look at his brother. "Worried about you though," he added sadly while staring down at him.

"Me too," Jamie admitted in a small voice as he sat back up. He looked younger than his years as he slouched back and sighed. Danny felt his older brother instincts kick in and he quickly shifted onto the seat next to him and wrapped an arm around his shoulder, grabbing a pillow and pulling him in so Jamie's head was resting on his lap and his legs were curled up on the couch just like they did when they were younger.

"You're gonna be okay, kid," Danny said as he held his younger brother and rubbed his arm until he felt him relax into sleep. "You have to be," he muttered as his eyes closed as he leaned back and allowed himself drift away too. When Eddie quietly let herself back into the apartment after shift she found them both in the same position, still dead to the world.

* * *

 _I think I will do a bonus chapter today and add one more after this because I like the next one. Enjoy!_


	17. Chapter 17

_Don't forget Chapter 16. I posted both at the same time as a bonus today and see some people are missing that one. Cheers!_

* * *

Chapter 17

"Jamison, would you mind stepping in my office?" Deputy Commissioner Miller called out as he saw Jamie passing by in the hallway. It was the Friday afternoon of the second week of October and he had been working as a consultant in the legal department for exactly a month and a half now. While his family and Eddie had initially been fearful that it would adversely affect his health, Jamie had seemed to settle into a good rhythm at work, and from all outward appearances appeared to be finally gaining some strength back. His relationship with Eddie was back on track after their small blip, except for the fact that she had shied away from any physical intimacy since that first appointment with Dr. Abrams where sex had been listed on the index of banned activities. Jamie had resigned himself when he was not able to change her mind despite what he thought were some impressive persuasive efforts on his part. He was hoping for a reprieve tonight though, as today was his thirtieth birthday and they had dinner reservations at an exclusive new restaurant.

"Close the door and have a seat, please," Miller directed as Jamie entered.

"Yes, sir," Jamie answered as he sat down.

"So you've been with us for six weeks now," Miller said as he looked up. "I've been reviewing your reports on the cases you were assigned and I just wanted to let you know how pleased I am with your results. At this pace it looks like you're going to have everything cleared up in half the time I allotted."

"Thank you, sir," Jamie replied. In truth he could have had just about all of the cases completed by now if Deputy Chief Denison hadn't thrown some wrenches into the works; he had been backhandedly quite critical of Jamie's performance so far. They were simple disability claim filings that needed to be investigated before being approved for hearings with various agencies. Jamie was happy to bide his time though as his real focus had been observing Denison and the cases he had taken for himself. At this point he had a strong inkling as to what was going on but had been careful to keep a low profile and his suspicions to himself. That all went out the window with the DCLM's next comment.

"Yes, well you've been so prolific that I feel like I should challenge you a bit," Miller continued. "I'd like you to second chair Chief Denison on the upcoming Michael's trial."

Jamie sat back in his seat and pursed his lips. Philip Michael was a beat cop from the 3-5 who was being accused of a hit and run while on patrol. A forty-five year old father of three, Alan Dutton had been struck and left wounded with a severely broken leg and internal injuries in the middle of the street. The family was suing the NYPD for upwards of fifteen million dollars even though there was seemingly no direct evidence that Michael's cruiser had been involved in the accident. It was a high profile case and Denison's baby. Jamie had a gut feeling that it was the center of whatever scandal was afoot but he had nothing concrete to go on. He knew that his being thrust into the middle of it by Miller might push Denison over the edge and resolved to be on his toes from this point forward.

"I've spoken to the chief," Miller said. "He is out of the office for the rest of the afternoon but my secretary will have a copy of the case file ready for you by the end of the day. I trust you will do a good job."

"Thank you, sir," Jamie acknowledged as he stood up and was dismissed. He knew he would be busy the rest of the weekend reviewing those papers. Denison was surely not going to be happy about this so he wanted to have every advantage by the time Monday morning rolled around.

"Oh, and I ran into your father in the elevator a few minutes ago," Miller added as Jamie was just about out the door. "He asked that you come see him in his office at the end of the day."

Jamie nodded and made his way back to his area to clear up the rest of his afternoon work and shut down his computer. He stopped by the secretary's desk on his way out for the day and slipped the thick folder she provided into his bag. He was busy scrolling through the messages on his phone as he made his way up to Abigail Baker's desk. "Good afternoon, Detective," he greeted her.

"Go right in, Jamie," she smiled, pleased that he was beginning to look more like his old self. She knew the stress that his illness had caused the family, and Frank in particular. "And happy birthday to you."

"Thanks," he grinned as he opened the door to his father's office. It had been a tough transition away from patrol, but he finally felt like he was hitting his stride. Given the fact that he was still working with officers and visiting precincts every day during his investigations, he felt a bit like a detective as well as a lawyer and had the sense that he was still a part of the NYPD.

"Jamie!" DCPI Moore exclaimed as stood and made his way over from the couch where he had been relaxing after tying up loose ends with his boss at the end of a long week. "I was just leaving. Good to see you! How are they treating you over in legal?" Garrett has been initially surprised at Jamie's appointment, but word was the kid had really taken to the job and he was definitely looking better. Deputy Commissioner Miller had been generous with his praise when they had run into him earlier.

"Everything's going well, thanks," Jamie answered as he shook the older man's hand and turned to face his father as Garrett took his leave. "Hey, Dad."

"Jamie, I was hoping to catch you before you left," Frank said as he quickly stood and made his way around the desk. He grabbed Jamie's arm and pulled him in for a big bear hug as he tussled his hair. "Happy birthday, son. I can't believe my youngest is hitting the big 3-0 today," he sighed, giving him a kiss on the top of the head. "I must be getting old." It did make him feel that way as much as he hated to admit it.

Jamie laughed and wiggled his way out of his father's grip, just as he had always done since he was a small child. "Thanks, Dad. It sure feels good to be here for this one."

"Amen," his father answered, all too aware of how close they had come to losing him. "You're sure you won't reconsider stopping over at the house tonight. We should celebrate. At least come by for a nightcap. Your grandfather will be disappointed."

"No, that's okay," Jamie offered. "Sunday will have to be soon enough. Eddie and I have a late reservation at that hot new sushi restaurant on 28th Street. It was really hard to get in there. She's been so good about coming to all of our family things, especially since hers is not close. I just think that we need a night to ourselves this time."

"Very well," Frank conceded, although it was difficult to share his youngest's affections on this day. "We'll have a cake for you on Sunday, and if I know your brother and sister they will have something else planned for you as well."

"I bet," Jamie muttered under his breath. "Speaking of plans, everything coming along okay with that other thing we talked about?"

Frank smiled as he thought back to that conversation at the pier. "Yes Jamie, everything's been taken care of on my end. I take it things are still on track then?"

"Yes," Jamie grinned as he picked up his bag. "Thanks, Dad. I'll see you on Sunday."

"Son," his father's voice stopped him. "What about the other situation? Deputy Commissioner Miller was full of praise for you earlier."

"Yeah," Jamie said as he turned back around at the door. "There have been some developments on that. We'll need to have a meeting after dinner on Sunday. I want to bring you all up to speed." He noted the concern creep into his father's eyes. "I'm okay, but I think things are going to heat up next week. We'll talk. I gotta go or I'll be late picking up Eddie."

"Be careful, Jamie," Frank cautioned as he watched his son walk out the door.

###

"I can't believe you were able to score a table here tonight," Eddie raved as the waiter left with their drink order. Ever since making the top of all of the hot foodie lists, reservations at this restaurant had been nearly impossible to make. She had been looking forward to it all week since Jamie had mentioned it. A part of her felt a little guilty since it should have been his big night, and he had instead chosen to indulge her, but she wasn't going to let it ruin anything, and she had a good idea of what he was up to anyway.

Jamie just smiled as he looked at the menu. He'd had to use a big hook to get in here tonight, but he had also been busy pulling in a lot of favors with other friends over recent weeks, so what was one more? Besides, there was only one thing he wanted for his birthday tonight, and he was looking right at her.

"Do you know what you're going to have?" Eddie asked. Sushi was really more of her thing and Jamie was looking a little overwhelmed at the choices.

"No, but I know what I want," he offered with a slight grin as he looked up and met her eyes. There had been a lot of innuendo on his part all evening and there was no doubt what he was looking for. She was just about to make a snide comeback when she saw his eyes refocus on something behind her and go cold. The smile quickly dropped from his face.

"Jamie, what..." Eddie started as he put his hand on hers and stopped her from turning around.

"Just act normal," he hissed as he stood up to greet a man approaching them. "Chief Denison," he said as he extended his hand. "Good to see you, sir."

"Reagan," the man replied gruffly, ignoring the gesture. "Surprised to find you here. Then again, I guess you're not afraid to use the old man's name to get in anywhere."

Eddie's eyes widened a little at the crassness of the remark but she held her tongue.

Jamie tensed, but appeared to overlook the obvious jab. "Yes, well...this is my girlfriend Edit. We're here celebrating my birthday tonight."

"Nice to meet you, Chief," Eddie offered but was quickly rebuked as Denison kept his attention focused solely on Jamie. It was obvious that he had been drinking heavily, and Jamie subconsciously moved between the inebriated man and Eddie.

"Quite a job getting yourself assigned to the Michael's trial," the Deputy Chief sneered in a low voice, waving his finger and poking it in Jamie's chest. "Guess you've got Miller in your back pocket too. You just watch yourself or this might end up being your last birthday!" he said as he turned heel and stomped off.

Jamie had grabbed Eddie's shoulder behind his back and held her in the seat, as he knew she was about to leap to her feet in momma bear mode in his defense at that comment. He took a deep breath as he released her and slid back into his chair, trying to keep the attention drawn to them to a minimum.

Eddie was livid. "He just threatened you, Jamie!" she fumed. "Is he insane? In front of all of these people?"

Jamie just shook his head and tried to calm himself as he replaced the napkin on his lap. Apparently he had been on the mark about the Michael's case being a trigger point. "It's okay, Eddie," he said as he picked his menu back up. "It just means I've been right about him all along." He paused. "So much for acting normal," he smirked, trying to lighten the mood. "I thought you were about to tear him a new one there if I hadn't held you back."

"Yeah, well that _is_ me acting normal now isn't it?" she said, not quite ready to let it go yet. "Besides, Reagan," she added, "I'm a fine actress. What? I am!" He just laughed at her insistence.

"Let's just eat, Janko. I know you're good at that."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

"He really said that in the middle of a restaurant?" Danny groused as the adults sat around the table after Sunday dinner and discussed Jamie's situation. "Unfreakin' believable." Linda had volunteered to clean up the kitchen and get the birthday cake ready while keeping an eye on the kids outside.

"Yes, he was really drunk, and now Jamie has to go into the office tomorrow and work with him," Eddie worried. "What if he tries something?"

Jamie had been thoughtfully quiet as Eddie brought everyone up to speed on the events with Denison. "He can't afford to do anything there," he said finally. "But he's really rattled that I've been assigned to the Michael's case, and has no idea what I know. He's dangerous now," he admitted, looking up and catching his father's eye.

Frank frowned; he was starting to get uneasy about where this was going. "What is it, son? What's he up to?"

Danny's eyes snapped up, "You've figured it out?"

"Yeah, at least the first part, the disability claims." Jamie said. "But I'm not positive yet what he's planning for the last take, the one on the legal side. I have my suspicions but things still need to play out for me to be sure. It has to be tied to this big trial or he wouldn't have gone ballistic on us in the restaurant. I think Miller threw him a curve by appointing me as second chair, and we just happened to end up at the same place he went to drink so he wasn't thinking straight when he threatened me. I've been watching him and the cases he kept for himself when Deputy Commissioner Miller decided to hire me. A huge percentage of them involve disability claims that involve emotional distress and other conditions that are hard to quantify. Most of the claims would have resulted in partial settlements alone, but when the emotional distress components are added they wind up getting full benefits from both the NYPD and Social Security. Someone is coaching these guys so they pass the requirements and Denison comes in and clears them through the system without any fuss. I'm guessing they are getting some pretty hefty kickbacks for it."

"The bastards," Henry cursed as he sat up straight. "They're draining the budget for the legit hardship cases."

"Yes," Jamie said.

"Who's involved?" Frank asked with a cold edge in his voice. He couldn't believe this had been happening down the hall right under his nose.

"There have been at least sixty-five cases I can see over the course of the last three years. Started out as just a few here and there to stay under the radar, but it's been ramping up each year that a budget increase is approved. Denison in the legal department obviously, someone has to be in on it in the mayor's office as well since he had to be working with a contact over there to come up with the numbers and keep the reason for the increases under the radar. At least one more who's actively coaching the dirty claimants."

"What about Miller?" Frank asked.

"I don't see him being part of it Dad," Jamie said, knowing that the Deputy Commissioner was a long-time family friend, "or he would have never stirred the pot with me and forced Denison's hand."

"But the Michael's case is different, Jamie," Erin interjected. "That's not about disability cases at all but a big wrongful injury lawsuit against the department."

"Yes," Jamie admitted. "I think Denison figured someone was going to catch onto this scam he's been running at some point, and he's looking for a big payoff before he skips. I've been reviewing the case files Miller gave me all weekend. It stinks of the whole thing being fabricated on one or both sides. Dutton, the victim who was supposedly hit by the cruiser, and his family. They are the only ones in position for a big payoff so they have to be part of it."

"You think Denison has orchestrated this whole thing to bilk the department out of fifteen million dollars," Frank surmised.

"Yeah, and from all points Phillip Michael looks like a good cop falsely accused, but the testimony he's given in the depositions so far has been just sketchy enough to leave some wiggle room. He could be part of it too. Right now the case against him looks doubtful, but if Denison somehow throws it at the last minute, and he's in bed with the Dutton's, he can collect a huge payday."

"So what are we going to do?" Danny asked, looking at his father.

Frank had a hand up by his mouth, thoughtfully rubbing his mustache. He adjusted his glasses. "This is your brother's assignment. I think you should ask him," he said finally as all eyes went to Jamie who looked around nervously, knowing his plan would not be popular with either Danny or his grandfather. Eddie held her breath waiting for his answer.

"We need to bring in the big guns, Dad, and keep the NYPD hands clean in it. I need to work with the FBI so they can get warrants for the wiretapping. Otherwise we will never pull in all of the players. It's a corruption scandal involving the mayor's office too. You need to maintain distance here."

"Ah, the feds," Henry grunted with disdain. "Those blood suckers."

"Who's going to keep Jamie safe?" Eddie asked. Denison's threats had really rattled her.

"We are," Danny said firmly. "No one's going to outsource that to the goons."

"Damn straight," Henry agreed.

"Denison works with the FBI all the time," Erin reminded them. "You're going to have to be sure you get clean agents."

"I've got guys," Frank insisted.

Suddenly the kitchen door swung open and Linda appeared with the kids carrying Jamie's birthday cake. "Enough shop talk," she said as she set it down and started adding the candles to it. "It's time for dessert and some celebration." The mood of the house was considerably lighter afterwards as Jamie was teased about the need for a standby fire extinguisher as he blew out the candles. Erin and Danny then bombarded him with gag gifts including a hat proclaiming him to be "officially old."

Jamie and Eddie were still laughing about that when they walked into their apartment and she was teasing him with it; wearing it backwards in defiance and refusing to give it back. He caught her from behind and playfully tackled her onto the couch. They came up face-to-face and their eyes locked. Despite his hopes for the previous nights, Eddie had been too upset over the events at the restaurant to even approach when they got home.

"Eddie..." Jamie started, "can we? Please... I... need you." That was it; he just couldn't take it anymore and wasn't above begging and pulling out all his top cards, including the patented puppy eyes.

Eddie hesitated then shook her head no. "We... can't. The doctor said..."

Jamie dropped his head and sighed, he had been patient before, but now he was utterly frustrated. "Please, Eddie. I'm getting better. You have to see that. It can't just be about what the doctor said anymore."

"But it is," she said quietly as she sat up and looked away, studying the books on the nearby shelf. "All those times I saw you in the hospital, the doctors yelling about your heart stopping and pushing us out of the room, and then Dr. Abrams said you could go into cardiac arrest if you weren't careful. It brings it all back. Jamie, if something were to happen to you because of me... if you had a heart attack in front of me... I don't think I would ever get over it."

"Not gonna happen," Jamie said as moved over to sit next to her. "We'll just take things slow and... less intensely," he laughed. "Seriously Ed," he said as he moved closer and began to kiss her neck. "If we wait much longer the stress of being around you... and not with you... is going to make me jump out of that window over there." She started laughing and he was encouraged to keep going. "And then... you're going to have to explain to everyone..." his hands were pulling up on her shirt, "why I did that..." it was over her head.

"Jamie,' her arms came down and stopped him. "You have to promise..."

"Oh my God, anything..."

"Promise me you're really going to grow old," Eddie said as she fingered the hat that had fallen off to her side.

Jamie stopped and rested his forehead against hers. "I promise," he said as he kissed her again. "I promise I'm going to grow old with you."


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Despite everyone's reservations and the Deputy Chief's outburst at the restaurant, Jamie's appointment to the Michael's trial appeared to go smoothly from all outward appearances at the office. Much of the legwork and depositions had already been completed before Deputy Commissioner Miller had added him as second chair, so all that was left was plotting strategy and confirming the forensics. Denison decidedly left Jamie out of those meetings to a large degree, and Jamie did not rock the boat by insisting on being included. Instead he was focused on his own mental preparations and liaising with his FBI contacts after hours. The last month of surveillance had provided a wealth of knowledge, but Jamie was concerned they were missing key evidence on a few of Denison's main co-conspirators. He had an idea of how to rectify that before the close of the trial but it was going to require some cooperation and another family meeting at Thanksgiving. Opening arguments were scheduled for the following week.

The Reagans enjoyed a traditional Thanksgiving Day with a morning spent at the parade and a turkey dinner complete with all the trimmings. They all agreed that there was much to be thankful for this year, and Henry was especially happy that Eddie had settled in as part of the family. She seemed to complete them in a way that none of Jamie's former girlfriends had. He enjoyed her company and found that he had a rapt audience once again for many of his all-time favorite stories.

Once dinner had a chance to settle and it was intermission time between football games, Jamie decided to present his thoughts on the final stage of the investigation. It was time to ensure the maximum charges were going to stick.

"You want to tip Denison off?" Danny asked in disbelief when he was done. "He might run and all of this will be for nothing."

"No, I want to give him just enough of a whiff that I know something's going on so he has to change course a little bit. He makes bigger mistakes when he's nervous. He's wound super tight right now. We need to give him a little push over the edge."

"You'll be making yourself a bigger target than you already are, Jamie," Erin worried.

"The FBI thinks if we tip things in the right direction he'll give up more on the person who's been recruiting and coaching the false applicants. That's the one we have the least amount of credible evidence on. Denison has been careful about talking to him over the phone and he sweeps for bugs whenever they meet, always in a new location. We need something for leverage so we can make a deal and clean up all the bad disability cases that have gone through legal the past three years. Otherwise they will just continue to be a big drain on the budget.

"Who is it?" Danny asked.

"Denison's own father," Jamie revealed. "Walter. He was on the job back in the day out of the 3-5 and took early retirement due to emotional stress back in '08. He was partnered for the last six years with James Michael... Phillip Michael's uncle. He's still at the same house. Just about to retire."

"So Michael is dirty in this, too," Henry reasoned.

"Yes, has to be," Jamie said. "Too much of a coincidence."

"What do you need us to do, Jamie?" Frank asked. He saw that his son was drawing all of the strings together and wanted to support him, not only to keep him safe but also to make sure all of his efforts were successful since he had risked so much.

"I want Danny to visit the 3-5 as the trial is winding down and subtly let it get back to Michael's uncle that we've made the connection between him and Walter Denison. That should be enough to get the ball rolling. Denison and his father will blow but they will be too close to the payoff to want to walk away."

"Danny doesn't do subtle," Linda observed.

"Hey! I resent that! Especially coming from own my wife!" his older brother retorted. "But seriously, kid. You're taking a big risk. Are you sure?"

"Yeah, we've got to get these guys," Jamie said. "All of them."

###

"Dammit to hell, Paul!" Walter Denison shouted as soon as his son entered the back room in the abandoned storefront they had agreed to meet at. "I'm telling you those damn Reagans are on to us! Why else would Jimmy call me and tell me that Danny Reagan was at the 3-5 today nosing around? He knows we were partners! They've figured it out!"

"Shut up, dad!" the younger Denison hissed as he scanned the room. "There's no way Harvard boy figured anything out! Miller only put him on this trial to give him something to do; he just sits there and hasn't been a part of any of the pretrial stuff. You're just too jumpy! Another week and we'll be in the clear. Michael will slip up on the stand as planned and look like he's thrown himself under the bus because he has a guilty conscience and the Dutton's will get their big settlement. All that money will be ours."

"Paul, I was a cop for a lot of years. I know when we've been made! I'm telling you we need to take what we have and get out now!"

"If they had anything on us, we'd be in custody already! I've told you we are clear! The Feds have no interest in this! I WORK WITH THEM! I WOULD KNOW!" the younger man raged. He was a classic narcissist and had put years of planning into this scheme. His ducks were all in a row, and he would not believe he could be wrong about any of this. No one, especially that failed beat cop, Jamison Reagan, was smarter than him.

"Besides," Paul snarled as he took a pill bottle and a copy of Jamie's apartment key out of his pocket and slammed them down on the table, "the Reagans are going to be too busy planning a funeral to worry about the close of the Michael's trial!" He had done his own background recognizance on Jamie the minute Miller had hired him, including gaining access to his medical records, and had swiped the key from Jamie's desk one day for long enough to make a spare just in case it was needed.

Walter was aghast as he looked at his son, "Paul, what have you done?" He had been all in for the money they were stealing from the city and the NYPD, but murder was out of his comfort zone. Especially when it involved the Police Commissioner's family. He knew their reputation and that the Reagans would never rest if someone hurt one of their own.

"JUST SHUT THE HELL UP! I TOLD YOU, NO ONE IS GOING TO STOP ME!" his son screamed back, clearly coming undone with the stress. Paul Denison had hidden his fragile mental demons from everyone for many years behind a brilliant mind, but they were on full display right now. "Just get over to Harvard boy's apartment tomorrow to keep watch and let me know when they've pulled him out in a body bag! Frank Reagan's precious son is going to have a massive heart attack as soon as he takes enough of the pills I left there for him. It will look like he accidentally OD'd on his own prescription if it ever gets that far. The coroner will most likely just rule it natural. Then we'll be done with his worthless ass and free to leave the country with millions of dollars as soon as the judge rules next week!"

Walter Denison was still breathing heavily after his son stormed out of the building. He wondered, not for the first time, how he had raised such a child, but he wasn't going to cross him now. The Reagans would just have to deal with their loss. They'd done it before.

###

The alarm clock buzzed at 6:45 and Eddie quickly swiped her hand over it to silence it. Despite spending most of the night awake and nervously pacing, or more likely because of it, Jamie was now dead to the world as he lay next to her and had not budged at the sound. She snuggled in the warmth by his side just a few minutes longer before getting out of bed and pulling on some heavy winter clothes. It was supposed to be quite cold out today. She was on first shift and had just enough time to get ready and down to the precinct before roll call. Eddie knew that Jamie did not have to be at the courthouse until 1:30 this afternoon because of the judge's continuance, so she was prepared to let him sleep in. She was worried about the stress all of these added hours from the trial and investigation had heaped upon him. He had been worn down again lately even though Dr. Abrams had assured them that his condition was improving at Jamie's recent visits. His sleepy voice halted her before she left the room though.

"Hey," he said wearily. "You weren't going to leave without kissing me goodbye, now were you?"

She smiled as she made her way over to sit on the side of the bed. "Well, maybe," she said, running her fingers through his messy hair. "Are you feeling okay?" she asked worriedly. "You don't look so good this morning."

"Just tired," he admitted as he rolled on his back. "Ready for this whole thing to be over with."

"You think Denison is going to make his move in court today?" she wondered.

"Yup, has to be today or tomorrow morning. We're scheduled to have closing arguments on Friday afternoon. Judge will probably rule Monday or Tuesday."

"So today's the big day, then. Are you going to be all right?" Eddie frowned. She didn't like his pale expression. He hadn't looked this bad in a while.

"Yeah, we're all set. I'll be ready to stop him. He's not going to get away with this. We're gonna take him down," Jamie said as he sat up and swung his legs over the side. The room spun a little bit and then settled. "Damn, I am overdoing it," he thought as he shook his head to clear it.

"You're sure you're okay?" Eddie asked again. "I can bang in sick and stay here with you."

"No," Jamie said. "You need to be at work. I'll be fine. I'll take it easy this morning, and everything is all set for this afternoon. I just need some breakfast and to relax a little. You better get going or you're gonna miss roll call and Renzulli will have to write you up. I'll see you later. Go on now," he said as he smiled and gave her a kiss, "I'll be okay, let's get this over with."

Eddie gave him an uneasy smile in return. She had a bad feeling that things were not simply going to go as planned today. "Love you," she said as she got up to leave. "You take care of yourself. I'll see you later."

"Love you more," came his reply.

True to his word, Jamie spent the morning in the apartment, trying to relax and keep his focus as he convinced himself that he had thought to put everything in place. He knew they were at the most critical part of the investigation, and one slip up now might tip off Denison and the others before the FBI could sweep in and arrest them all with full evidence.

He was still mentally double-checking his plan when he finished an early lunch and reached across the kitchen counter for his heart medication before heading for the bedroom to shower and change into his court clothes.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Eddie and her partner Mark Wilson had been assigned to patrol the Lower East Side district for the day, and had just returned to service after finishing their meal break when a call came in from dispatch. It was a frigid day for early December and they were both glad to be back in the car.

"12-Edward on the air"

Eddie responded into her shoulder radio, "12-Edward, Central"

"12-Edward, respond to a 911 dispatch for a 10-54 ambulance call. Cardiac. 387 Grand Street, apartment 5B."

Wilson was waiting for Eddie to acknowledge the call and hit the lights and sirens before pulling out into traffic. Instead he turned towards her when he heard his partner take in several sudden shuddering breaths as she braced her hand up against the dashboard. She stared straight ahead as she reached her left hand up to her radio again.

"12-Edward, Central. Repeat that address," she gasped as her face lost all color.

"12-Edward, 387 Grand Street, apartment 5B."

"Eddie, what the hell..." Wilson asked, looking at her with concern as she remained locked in silence. "12-Edward, Central. Show us responding," he barked into his own radio.

"10-4, 12-Edward," came the reply.

"Eddie, the lights! Get the lights!" Wilson shouted at her and then reached down to flip them on himself when she did not move as he sped down the street. They were only two blocks away. "What's the hell's the matter with you, Janko?" he yelled as he reached out tap her shoulder. She was frantically fumbling with her phone.

"Jamie!" she cried as her eyes met his. "Oh, God! Wilson, that's our apartment!" She was shaking as she held the phone up to her ear, "He's been having heart trouble since he was sick! Damn it! I knew something was wrong this morning! Please pick up! Pick up! Pick up! Please Jamie! Pick up!" There was no response as the call went to voicemail. In shock, she shoved the phone back in her pocket and scrambled out of the car as they screeched to a halt in front of the building. Wilson was a step behind her as she ran through the front doors to the elevator and slammed on the up button. The door opened immediately or she would have bolted up the stairwell. They both heard the approaching ambulance's shrill siren as it turned the corner and made its way towards them.

"I'm going up! Stay here and get the elevator back for the EMTs!" she demanded as she dashed inside and hit the close button. "Fifth floor! Second door on the left!" she yelled as the panel slid shut in front of her terrified face. Wilson was breathing hard as he looked up and watched as the lights above the door lit up at an agonizingly slow rate... 2... 3... 4... finally halting at 5. He immediately pressed the button and was relieved to see the car soon make it's way downward as the paramedics burst through the front door; pulling a gurney loaded with bags and equipment.

"Over here!" he waved to them as he held the door. All three men pressed into the small space. "My partner's up there already," he told them. "It's her boyfriend, Jamie Reagan. He's on the job and he's the Police Commissioner's son. He was sick with pneumonia not too long ago and she said he's been having heart trouble."

"Okay, thanks," the taller paramedic responded. "Reagan, damn I know him. He's a good cop. Matt, you better be ready with the defibrillator in case we need it. I'll assess on entry."

"Got it, Derek," Matt responded. He waited for his partner to exit the elevator as the doors opened, then followed closely behind pushing the gurney as they made their way down the hall to the open door. They entered the apartment, immediately scanning the room and announcing themselves, "Paramedics, hello?"

"In here!" they heard Eddie call from the bedroom. "Help me! Please! He's in here!"

Derek and Matt both grabbed the equipment bags off the stretcher and made their way down the hallway towards the sound of Eddie's voice. There they found her on the floor kneeling by Jamie who was laying on his back next to the bed, eyes closed and unresponsive. He appeared to be taking in shallow breaths. She was desperately tapping his face and unbuttoning his dress shirt. His cell phone was on the floor nearby. "I don't know what's happening," she sobbed. "He was down when I got in here. He was supposed to be in court this afternoon! I can't get him to wake up! He's had heart issues since he had pneumonia, but he's been taking the medication his doctor gave him! Jamie, please wake up!"

"Officer Janko, my name is Derek Greene and this is my partner Matt Baker. We're going to take good care of Jamie, but we need some room to work." He turned to Wilson as Eddie slid to the front near Jamie's head. "It's tight in here, please give us space and stay in the hall," he ordered. Wilson was pacing nervously as he called in for more backup. Curious neighbors were already gathering at the door and listening to what was going on and he tried to shoo them out.

Derek immediately took his stethoscope and listened to Jamie's chest. "Weak and irregular, too fast," he reported. "He's diaphoretic and shocky. Let's get him on O2 and the monitor stat." Matt had already opened up the case and was cutting Jamie's t-shirt to give him access to apply the leads. Derek quickly slipped an oxygen mask on and looked at the monitor as it came to life.

"He's tachycardic… thought so," Derek mused as he reached over and pushed a button. Alarms sounded soon after. "Ah damn, he's in VFib," he said as he read the EKG on the screen. "Get the defibrillator ready!"

"Charging!" Matt said as he applied gel to the paddles. "Clear!" he called as he placed them over Jamie's chest. Derek and Eddie both leaned back. The machine beeped as it counted down and she gasped as Jamie's body jumped with the surge of electricity.

"No change!" Derek called. "Try again! C'mon Reagan!"

Matt repeated his actions and they all held their breath as they looked at the monitor. "He's converted!" Derek said as he hit a button on the machine while pulling out an IV bag out and yanking the cap off the needle with his teeth as he prepared to insert it. "We've got to scoop and run! Officer Wilson get that stretcher over here now, please!"

They quickly lifted Jamie onto the gurney, throwing a blanket over his legs and securing him with straps while they situated the equipment around him. Eddie was glued to his side holding his hand as they made their way through the onlookers and out into the hall. Derek was peppering her with questions about Jamie's health and the medications he was taking. Wilson locked the apartment door behind them and remained outside as they entered the elevator. "There's no room. I'll take the stairs," he offered as the doors closed and he turned to race down the stairwell. He was out of breath when he arrived in the foyer just as the medics and Eddie were making their way through the front doors into the cold December air. A small, curious crowd had gathered outside around the ambulance and patrol car, their emergency lights still flashing, but two officers from the additional unit Wilson had called in from the 12th were already on scene and were clearing a path. They both looked on in disbelief when they realized who was being treated.

The stretcher was just a few yards from the building when the monitor alarm sounded and Derek looked over at it in dread. "He's flat lining! Asystole!" he shouted. "Matt, bag him! We need to start CPR!"

Without thinking, Eddie's training kicked in and she jumped up on the stretcher and started compressions. There was no way she was going to lose Jamie. "I've got it!" she shouted at the stunned medics. "You get him in the ambulance! We need to get to the hospital, NOW!" Looking down with determination, she shook her head to clear the tears and swore as she cried out, "C'mon Jamie! Don't you dare do this to me now! Fight! Oh damn it! Reagan! Don't do this!"

The gurney was loaded and the ambulance doors closed with a solid thud as two bangs on the rear window signaled Derek he was free to go as he jumped in the driver seat. He floored it as Wilson took off ahead in the RPM to escort them, blue and red lights flashing and sirens melding together as they raced through the city, carrying the Commissioner's youngest son towards the hospital.

"You guys okay back there?" Derek asked as he glanced back over his shoulder while they cleared a crowded block as cars moved over and they made their way out of traffic and onto a thoroughfare. Eddie was still performing chest compressions as Matt turned the heart monitor volume off and removed the mask from Jamie's face.

"I think we should stop now," Matt said quietly as he picked up his radio to summon the hospital. "St. Victor's this is Squad 53. We are coming in Code One. Thirty-year-old white male with cardiac complications from pneumonia. Defibrillated times 2 in VFib. Patient has been in asystole for more than five minutes, likely DOA."

"10-4 Squad 53. We have the team waiting."

"No! No! NO! This can't be happening," Eddie cried as a hand reached out to grab her and push her arms away from Jamie's chest, quelling her frantic attempts to revive him. Eddie's frightened eyes looked up and met his. She took a deep, shuddering breath.

"Stop, please... That's enough."

* * *

 _I was this close ((this close)) to waiting to post this chapter until tomorrow, but you guys have been great so I couldn't leave you hang... but then I did anyway. Bahaha! Is this the end of Jamko?_


	21. Chapter 21

_Thanks for the reviews! Glad you liked the last chapter! As promised..._

* * *

Chapter 21

" _You guys okay back there?" Derek asked as he glanced back over his shoulder while they cleared a crowded block as cars moved over and they made their way out of traffic and onto a thoroughfare. Eddie was still performing chest compressions as Matt turned the heart monitor volume off and removed the mask from Jamie's face._

" _I think we should stop now," Matt said quietly as he picked up his radio to summon the hospital. "St. Victor's this is Squad 53. We are coming in Code One. Thirty-year-old white male with cardiac complications from pneumonia. Defibrillated times 2 in VFib. Patient has been in asystole for more than five minutes, likely DOA."_

" _10-4 Squad 53. We have the team waiting."_

 _"No! No! NO! This can't be happening," Eddie cried as a hand reached out to grab her and push her arms away from Jamie's chest, quelling her frantic attempts to revive him. Eddie's frightened eyes looked up and met his. She took a deep, shuddering breath._

" _Stop, please... That's enough."_

"No, Eddie, seriously... Stop! will ya! No one can see us in here anymore, and I think you may have just cracked some of my ribs," Jamie grimaced as he reached up and held Eddie's arms tighter trying to calm her down. "You're going to put me back in the hospital for real," he said as he propped himself up on one elbow. She was panting from the exertion and wisps of hair had come wildly undone from her normally tight work bun. She sat back, straddling him and rubbed her sweaty forehead with the back of her hand as she offered a small laugh.

"What do you think about my acting skills now, Reagan?" she smirked; reaching forward to cradle his cheek and kiss his lips.

"I refuse to answer that question while you're still sitting here on top of me and I'm strapped down," Jamie smiled as he relaxed back against the gurney, pulling her closer to lay on top of him. "You might hurt me, although this is kind of nice…" he added playfully as he looked in her eyes and his hand slid down her arm and came down to rest on the back of her thigh.

"Jamison Henry Reagan! Boundaries! We have company here!" Eddie laughed as she pushed herself off the stretcher and took a seat on the bench aside of Matt, who turned away slightly to hide a wry smile. Both Matt and Derek were undercover FBI agents posing as EMTs investigating an illegal prescription drug trafficking scheme. They were happy to lend their assistance by playing a part in taking down another major corruption ring in the city.

"You grabbed the medication he spiked, right?" Jamie asked, his eyes narrowing as he grew more serious. They were nearing the hospital so there wasn't much time to talk.

"Yes, I have it right here," Eddie took the bottle out of her pocket. It was already bagged for evidence.

"Good, hold onto it and give it to Danny when you can. Between that and the video of him breaking into our apartment from the secret cameras TARU wired in, Erin will have all the proof she needs to tack on another count for attempted murder of an undercover officer. The bastard will go down for life," Jamie said smugly. He couldn't wait until he saw the look on Denison's face when they nailed him for that.

"Thank God, Jamie," Eddie said seriously as her eyes began to fill, the reality of what could have been hitting her. "If those cameras hadn't activated and warned you that someone was in our apartment yesterday... If you hadn't seen what he did… if you had taken those pills… this could be real right now."

"Hey, I know," Jamie said softly as he grabbed her hand, "but it wasn't 'cause I've gotten smarter about undercover work this time around. The _last_ time around," he quickly added. "Okay? That's why Danny and I made sure the apartment was secure so we were safe. Now you're lucky because your next acting assignment comes at the hospital where you have to look like my grief-stricken girlfriend. Right now it seems like you've got a good head start on that," he smiled as he looked at her red-rimmed eyes and moved his hand up to trace the tears mixing with sweat down the side of her face with his thumb. "Denison and his pals must have been watching the apartment, and will surely have someone check at the hospital to make sure the deed was done and I'm really gone so they can clean up their trail, bag the last score and disappear with the money. We needed to draw them out in the open. Dad's team will take care of making them believe that I'm really dead. Just put in a good act with my family, and then I'll hang out at the safe house and wait until my dad, Danny and the FBI wrap up all the loose strings. Once we put this to bed we can get on with our lives, okay? I love you Edit Janko, now don't forget that."

"Never," Eddie promised, taking a deep breath and giving him one last kiss. "I love you too. I just hope we can pull this off."

"Two minutes out," Derek warned, as he turned left towards the hospital.

Matt quickly repositioned all of the equipment as Eddie resumed her spot; ready to make it look good as they were whisked through the ER. She knew the success of the whole operation hinged on making the prying eyes waiting for them believe that Jamie was dead and the coast was clear to rake in one more windfall.

"Just please, honey," Jamie groaned a little through the mask as they screeched to a stop at the ambulance bay, "take it easy on the ribs." His eyes rolled back and he let himself go limp as the doors opened and the gurney was unloaded. Matt hurried alongside the stretcher bagging him and Eddie kept up the fake compressions until she was pulled away as they arrived at the double doors. Someone was yelling that they had a code blue. A nurse took over as another grabbed her by the shoulders and led her over some chairs where she collapsed in tears with her head in her hands for a few minutes, quietly taking in her surroundings. Wilson had parked the car and now sat next to her, his arm around her trying to comfort his relatively new partner. He wasn't sure exactly what to say to her, but he knew it looked bad, and this was the Commissioner's son they were talking about. He watched nervously as she pulled out her phone and dialed, her hand visibly shaking. She must be calling the family he deduced.

As it rang, she did not miss the almost imperceptible grin on the innocuous looking older gentleman's face that had just sat down and pulled out a paper a few chairs down from her. "Frank, it's Eddie... Oh God! Frank! We're at the hospital. I think Jamie's had a heart attack… no it's his heart… he called 911… I found him in our apartment on the floor… I don't know… no it's bad… we tried... God, we tried but we couldn't get his heart started again in the ambulance. Frank, I'm so sorry! I don't know what to do!" Eddie sobbed into the phone, all the while wanting to reach out and wring the smug man's neck. "Please come… it's… yes... St. Vic's. I'm so sorry."

As she hung up she gave a small sideways nod to one of the orderlies standing by the desk. He discreetly photographed the older man and tailed him as he moved down the hall to sit at some chairs near the private waiting room the nurses were surely clearing for the arrival of the Police Commissioner. No one was getting out of this sting without being nailed, no matter what his or her role was.

###

The Reagan family hurriedly assembled piece by piece. Linda had been summoned from her floor at the hospital as soon as word had been received. She quickly herded Eddie down the hall, away from the gathering crowd of officers and into the private waiting room area. Frank arrived shortly afterwards; skirted carefully by his detail, as he rushed over to Eddie and drew her close, worry plainly etched on his face.

"Any word?" he asked hopefully as they both sank into chairs.

"No!" Eddie sobbed aloud, conscious of the fact that the door remained open and her voice had surely carried over to its intended target.

Erin came in next, clinging to a shaken looking Nicki; practically dragging her down the hall as she made her entrance. Unfortunately for the Reagans, they had been in this situation too many times before so it was not difficult to figure out how to react. She raced over to her father and held him tight as he embraced her.

Danny showed up almost immediately after his sister and niece, almost skidding past the doorway as he rushed in. He was pale and sweating. For him it was much less of an act. The genuine fear he had felt from the day Jamie had been stricken with the pneumonia, coupled with his worry about another brother being targeted by a corrupt NYPD faction while undercover had channeled itself into a near anxiety attack. He silently prayed that his own heart would hold up under this strain and promised himself he would cut back on the fried food and coffee like Linda had asked. He reached for his wife and held her tightly; she was more than slightly concerned as she felt him trembling. His blood pressure must be through the roof she worried.

Henry was last, his cane clipping along at a hurried pace as he was escorted in by the uniformed officer who had been sent to pick him up. They all looked up with trepidation as a grim looking doctor entered the room and quietly closed the door.

The chorus of audible cries of sorrow that followed was unmistakable as the smug man folded his newspaper and made his way past the desk and out through the front doors now crowded with more uniformed officers. He could report that the mission was accomplished. The Reagans would be preoccupied mourning their precious young golden child, claimed by an apparent heart attack after a long illness. Another tragedy for the royal NYPD family; the papers would eat it up. Even for the Police Commissioner's son there would be no real investigation into a natural death, and now they were afforded the time to wrap up the Michael's trial and settle up.

He had no idea the trap had just been set and that several pairs of eyes and ears were following him down the street.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

DCPI Garrett Moore solemnly stepped to the podium in the small plaza outside 1PP. It was late afternoon and a soft icy breeze fluttered the flags that had been lowered to half-staff behind him. The throng of reporters remained respectfully silent as he started.

"I will not be taking any questions at the conclusion of this conference." He spoke clearly into the microphone but his voice was uncharacteristically subdued, and he swallowed hard at the lump in his throat. He was grateful for the sting of the cold air on his face.

"At 12:40 this afternoon a 911 call was received from the apartment of former NYPD Officer Jamison H. Reagan on the Lower East Side. Responding officers from the 12th precinct and medics found Mr. Reagan alone and unresponsive upon entry and subsequent efforts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful. He was pronounced at 1:26 after arrival by ambulance at St. Victor's Hospital Emergency Department." Garrett paused, struggling to remain composed as he finished. "As most of you know, Jamie was the youngest child of our Police Commissioner Frank Reagan. He had recently recovered from a life-threatening illness contracted while on patrol, but was forced to resign from active duty due to complications. Three months ago, he joined the NYPD Legal Department as a consultant. He was a Harvard School of Law graduate, member of the Bar, and a distinguished NYPD officer awarded several commendations for meritorious service and acts of bravery. In addition to his father, he leaves behind his paternal grandfather, former Commissioner Henry Reagan; brother Detective First Grade Daniel Reagan, wife Linda, and nephews Jack and Sean; sister Assistant District Attorney Erin Reagan, and niece Nicole Reagan-Boyle. His mother Mary and older brother Detective First Grade Joseph Reagan predeceased him. The cause of death is believed to be natural due to complications of his illness, but the family will have no further comment until that is ruled officially. They respectfully ask for privacy at this time. Thank you."

Garrett ignored the clamoring questions and turned slowly to walk back into the building. He bit his lip as he entered the elevator and made his way to the fourteenth floor. Every face he passed was downturned as he walked into the Commissioner's office. His heart broke further as he closed the door and observed Frank in his customary stance, back turned and hands in his pockets as he surveyed his great city from his favorite vantage point. Garrett knew his friend's eyes had been upon him as he delivered the sad news in the plaza just minutes before.

"Frank," he spoke softly as he made his way to the chairs in front of the desk. "Frank, you should be with the family. Your detail is ready to take you home."

Frank did not acknowledge him at first, continuing to stare out over the expansive skyline that was receding into a breathtaking sunset. He took a deep breath in through his nose and shook his head.

"My fault, Garrett," he said roughly, barely more than a whisper. "I pushed him into taking the job with legal. I thought... if he couldn't go back on patrol, I needed to keep him here in the NYPD, to keep him here in the city with me. It was selfish… dangerous… too much pressure for him, too soon. I should have known... that something could happen. He could have gone anywhere he wanted to..." he trailed off, marveling at the intense hues of orange and red painted across the early winter sky.

"Frank..." Garrett started again, but he was interrupted as the door opened and a distraught but professional Abigail Baker entered.

"Sir," she said with great effort to keep an even voice, "Deputy Commissioner Miller from Legal and his Deputy Chief Paul Denison are here. They requested to speak with you."

"Show them in, Baker," Frank answered quietly. His hands had clenched at the mention of the name Denison. It would take all of his restraint not show boiling anger as the man who had just attempted to kill his son walked into the room behind him. The head of the snake, Frank reminded himself as he fought to control his emotions, they were too close to taking him down along with the whole corruption ring to indulge himself by taking the bastard by the throat right now. There would be time later, Frank promised himself, for a little one-on-one conversation when this was settled; that was unless Danny was able to get to him first.

"Commissioner," DCLM Miller said with great emotion as he entered the room. "My deepest condolences, Frank. I'm so very sorry. Jamie was a fine young man, an excellent investigator with a brilliant legal mind. I was fortunate to come to know him the past few months. He had such great potential."

Frank turned on his heel quickly, pursing his lips and nodding as he faced the two men. He could see Denison shrink back almost imperceptibly, and he enjoyed knowing his commanding presence was making the man squirm inside. The envy Denison must feel hearing those words from his superior. Frank knew his last performance report had not been so flattering, but credit to him; he had concocted a scheme to bilk the department out of millions of dollars. He was no match for Jamie though, Frank thought with great self-satisfaction.

"Thank you, Chuck," he responded to the Deputy Commissioner. "I appreciate your kind words. I know that Jamie was grateful for the opportunity you gave him. He was pleased to be working for you."

"The pleasure was all mine, Frank," Miller said. "In a few years he would have given me a run for my money as DCLM." He approached the desk and snapped to attention. Denison followed suit, having not uttered a word at all. "It was an honor to serve with him, sir. If there is anything my office or I can do for you or the family, please do not hesitate to ask."

"Thank you," Frank reciprocated the salute and then returned to his window, effectively dismissing them. Garrett remained where he was as the two men left and Baker closed the door behind them.

"We'll all have the pleasure again very soon," Frank muttered as the last vestige of sunlight dipped low in the horizon. By the beginning of next week the Michael's trial would be complete and a well-coordinated sweep would rake in all of the dirty players. Jamie was hidden away at a secret location with the FBI and safe for now, as long as everyone believed him to be dead. His mustache wrinkled as he added, "The best preparation for good work tomorrow is to do good work today - Elbert Hubbard."

His quiet words had not gone unnoticed by Garrett, who puzzled over them as he tilted his head and looked at his boss. "Frank?" he questioned as the imposing figure turned around and made his way to the desk, pausing to pick up his briefcase. For the first time all afternoon a small smile escaped the corner of his mouth as he noted a slight twinkle behind the Commissioner's eyes.

"Plausible deniability, Garrett," was all he offered as his face set once again and he left the room; asking Baker to summon his detail to take him home.

"Well I'll be damned," DCPI Moore thought to himself as he sank down on the couch and watched Frank's retreating form. His heart lifted and he suddenly had the feeling that there was much more to this than had originally met the eye.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Despite Garrett's request for privacy, the normally quiet community surrounding the Reagan home in Bay Ridge was crammed with cars and news trucks; lights and cameras flashing as the reporters and paparazzi all tried to get an exclusive shot of the grieving family. Frank's security detail had cordoned off the road directly in front of the house, and under the cover of darkness he exited the SUV and made quick entry through the front door under full guard. The rest of the family, including Eddie, had been escorted there directly from the hospital and were waiting for him.

Danny met him at the door, his forehead wrinkled with worry as he glanced out the window.

"Cripes, Dad," he groused, "It's a freaking zoo out there. This is sick. How are we going to get anything done if every move we make is broadcast to the world?"

"Everything is already in place, Danny," Frank said as he placed his briefcase down on the chair and removed his overcoat. He knew his oldest son was unhappy about being virtually excluded from this part of the operation. "Our only job at this point is to make sure Jamie's cover is not blown so enough evidence can be collected against the main players while this trial is wrapping up. The FBI has the lead in this investigation now. They have the surveillance set up and your brother is at the control center to make sure nothing gets by them. We need to keep our distance or risk drawing attention to them."

"I know, Dad," Danny nervously ran his hand over the back of his neck, "but it doesn't seem right with them having his back and not us." Danny had a bitter mistrust of the FBI ever since he discovered his brother Joe had been killed as a result of their investigation into the Blue Templar. "I can't believe Jamie's running this op with the Feds after what happened with Joe. I don't trust them to protect him. I promised that I would be his backup, and he's my kid brother. I should be watching him."

Frank just sighed, "No matter, you have to have faith in Jamie on this Danny. He's set this up so there will be a clean sweep and the guilty parties will face the maximum charges. The FBI will get Denison for the corruption and Erin can indict him now for attempted murder." He paused, considering whether it was wise to share the details of his impromptu meeting. "Deputy Commissioner Miller came to see me in my office to offer his condolences after Garrett's press conference. Denison had the balls to come with him. Didn't say a word."

"In my day he would have had an accident on his way down the stairs," Henry gruffed as he made his way out of the kitchen, "and no one would have questioned it."

"And you still don't think that Miller's involved?" Danny asked, refusing to have confidence in anyone at this point with his brother still in danger.

"No, and neither does Jamie," Frank said, "but he's kept him out of it so he could be officially cleared. Chuck Miller is a good man. I don't believe he had any idea this was all going on under his watch. Hell, neither did I." He made his way into the kitchen, pausing to pour himself two fingers of single malt from the open bottle on the counter.

"Rough day, Frank?" Linda kidded as she filled the vegetable bowl with snap peas. With nothing else to do for the afternoon, Henry and the women had busied themselves cooking a full dinner.

"You could say that," Frank said as he looked over at Eddie. She was uncharacteristically quiet, and looked troubled as she was pulling the rolls from the oven. "You doing okay, sweetheart?" he asked gently.

"Oh, um, yes," Eddie said as she set the tray down and started transferring the bread into a basket. "Sorry. I guess it's just everything catching up with me. Kinda like living a bad dream... having your worst fear come true in front of you and having to act it out; especially with everything we just went through in the hospital this summer. I mean in my head I know the whole thing was set up and Jamie really wasn't in danger, but here," she placed her hand over her heart, "it's just harder to accept, I guess. When I heard that call come in... it brought it all back. I just wish he was here so I could talk to him, you know? I feel so bad for the guys at the 12th who still think he's really gone. Renzulli must be a basket case by now."

"Don't worry about Renzulli," Frank said with a small smile. "Jamie had a drink with him last night and gave him the gist of what was going to go down. That's why you and Wilson were assigned to patrol that area; so you could be the responding squad."

"Figures," Eddie sighed. "But Wilson will probably never trust me again. He was pretty shook up at the hospital. Jamie said we had to limit who knew to make it believable so I had to let him think it was real."

"Renzulli will talk to him when this is over and explain it was done under my command. Jamie's life and the success of the operation was at stake; we had to take every precaution."

"Guess the brainiac thought of everything."

"Let's hope so," Frank replied as they made their way into the dining room. All the curtains had been drawn to keep the cameras at bay. This charade would have to continue until at least Monday when the judge's ruling was due. The rest of the family gathered around and they held hands and offered a prayer for a quick conclusion to the case and gave thanks for Jamie's safety.

###

Despite the shocking news of Jamie's unexpected demise, court continued on Friday in the Michael's trial after a moment of silence was observed. As Jamie expected, Philip Michael fell apart on the stand near the end of his testimony. He confessed to hitting Dutton in the middle of a dark street and then covering up the evidence on the RMP and falsifying his patrol logs. Deputy Chief Denison feigned great disappointment as he rested his case and DCLM Miller walked out of the courtroom in disgust. He had no idea how he was going to face Frank Reagan again after all this. Judge Anderson brought his gavel down and ordered all parties to reassemble on Monday afternoon to hear his final ruling.

Denison had to remind himself to wipe the grin off his face as he gathered up his files and made his way out of the courtroom. Everything was going perfectly according to his plan. He never noticed the dark sedan that pulled out of the parking lot directly after him as he took out his phone to spread the good news.

###

Except for a few brief individual outings, the Reagans remained secluded at the house in Bay Ridge through the weekend. Visitors were politely turned away and told that the family was requesting absolute privacy. In truth, Frank wanted to keep the number of people he was forced to lie to at a minimum. He hoped everyone would understand when the actual facts of the matter came out. The exceptions to that rule were Garrett Moore and Abigail Baker, who had also been informed of the truth on the ride back to the house. The only other person allowed through the barricades was Sergeant Anthony Renzulli, who was immediately welcomed inside when he arrived at the door clutching his patrol hat.

"Tony, please come in," Frank greeted Jamie's former TO as he closed the front door behind him. "Can I get you anything?"

"No, sir. Thank you," Renzulli said as he looked nervously around the room. Despite knowing the truth, it had taken a great deal of courage for him to make the drive over from the precinct. "I just... I'm sorry sir, I just felt like I needed to come here. Is the kid really okay?" he asked worriedly. "I know what he told me, but I mean seeing all this in the papers and on the news. I'm having trouble remembering what to believe. It's still like a bad dream."

"Yes, of course Tony. Jamie is fine," Frank answered. "This should all be wrapped up and over within a few days now. When it is I would like to come down to the 12th personally and talk to the men... and women," he added as Eddie walked in from the kitchen. She had been very quiet since dinner the first night, but perked up considerably when she saw the sergeant in the foyer. "I know this has caused a lot of stress in the precinct and I would like to explain to them why it was necessary. When they find out why he did it, to clear up this disability mess, I'm sure they will understand."

"That will be a first," Renzulli agreed. "We've never had someone return from the dead before, although if anyone could figure out a way to do it... it would be your son."

Frank smiled, "I suppose it would." He put an arm around Renzulli's shoulder and led him into the kitchen. "I do have a favor to ask of you though, if you have some time tomorrow..."

###

Just before noon on Sunday, a trio of black SUV's pulled up in front of the house to escort the family to a private Sunday service after the other masses had concluded. Frank, Danny and Eddie made their way out of the front door and up to the first vehicle. Eddie hurried towards the car, eager to be out of the public view as soon as possible. Apparently photos of the grieving girlfriend who had jumped on the stretcher to perform CPR on the dying Reagan son were worth a premium. After being accosted by cameras the first time, Eddie had shied away from leaving the security of the house until now. Frank had assured her she would be safe this time. She was surprised to see Sergeant Renzulli climb out of the front passenger seat to open the back door for them. He was smartly attired in his dress blues and offered a salute as the Commissioner passed.

The three settled into their seats as Renzulli climbed back in while the driver started the car. The Sergeant could not suppress a smile as he glanced to the side. "Just like old times, eh Harvard? You behind the wheel and me sitting over here telling you where to go?"

"Yeah, Sarge," the driver replied in a familiar voice from behind his dark aviator glasses. "Nothing beats it... except maybe having a prettier partner next to me. No offense."

"Jamie!" Eddie exclaimed as she finally realized who was sitting there. She would have jumped through the glass partition in that moment to get to him if she could. Since leaving him at the hospital on Thursday she had been desperate to see him again. Frank smiled as he leaned back. He had grown very fond of Eddie over the past several months and knew she needed this lift after a rough few days so he had arranged for Renzulli to bring Jamie in.

Danny eyed his younger brother critically from behind. "Cripes kid, you spend some time hanging out with the feds and here you are, dressing just like them!" he said with disdain. "I didn't even recognize you."

"Hey, is that any way to speak to me? When I came all the way down here to personally chauffer you to church and hand deliver this?" Jamie asked as he handed an envelope back to his brother.

"What is it?" Danny gruffed.

"Arrest warrant for Denison," Jamie explained. "Figured I'd give you an early Christmas present and let you pick him up tomorrow. I know how much you love those dramatic courtroom takedowns."

"Little brother, I think I could kiss you right now." Danny grinned. "But I thought the feds would be all over this."

"Yeah, well don't even think about it. If I'm going to be kissing anyone in this car today, it's not gonna be you!" Jamie laughed. "We're picking him up on the attempted murder charge. I want that one to be personal. The feds will sweep on everyone else on your go and then take him into their custody afterwards at the 5-4. Just remember you need serve this before Judge Anderson makes his ruling." Jamie pulled the car up in front of the church.

"Are you coming in for mass?" Frank asked.

"No, Dad. I think that might be too risky with the press and their telephoto lenses stationed out there," Jamie nodded to the throng assembled across the street. The SUV's deeply tinted windows afforded him the required privacy. "I just needed to see you guys for a bit. Give me a minute with Eddie, please."

"Of course," Frank said as he reached through the partition and squeezed his son's shoulder. "We'll all be at court tomorrow, and ready for a big celebration tomorrow night."

"Thanks, kid," Danny said as he tapped the envelope on the glass before putting it in his suit pocket. "I'm really proud of you, Jamie. It took big stones to pull this whole thing off. I don't think I could have done it. You did good."

"Thanks, Danny. I'll see you down at the precinct when you bring him in." Jamie said with a big smile. He had finally found his own niche, and he didn't realize how much those words would mean coming from his older brother. Renzulli got out of the car to open the door as Frank and Danny exited. Suddenly Jamie and Eddie were alone.

"Oh, Jamie, I've missed you so much," she breathed as she reached to the front to grab his hand.

"Me too," he said softly as he turned towards her and brought her hand over for a soft kiss. "This is almost over now and then we can make plans for us… wherever you want to go." He had spoken to her before about the possibility of moving west and she had agreed to consider it if the options were better for him. There were already several serious offers on the table, although he'd kept that fact from the rest of the family thus far. "You'd better get going before anyone gets suspicious. I'll see you tomorrow. I love you Edit Janko," he added.

"Love you more," she said.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Courtroom 219 was just about settled on Monday afternoon a few minutes before one o'clock. Among those already assembled in the crowd of spectators were DCLM Charles Miller and DCPI Garrett Moore, who had purposefully left several empty seats open in the front row next to him. Miller had been initially surprised by Garrett's request to sit with him for the final ruling, but after he arrived he knew from all appearances they were were about to be joined by the Police Commissioner himself. This whole situation had turned into such a disastrous train wreck that Miller assumed he would be fired on the spot the minute the ruling came down.

The judge arrived and the bailiff was just about to call for order when the back doors of the courtroom opened and the Reagan family appeared, led in by Frank. He strode purposefully to the front and waited as Eddie, Henry and Erin moved past him and took their seats. He then sat down iron-rod straight, as Danny remained standing at the end of the row. The gallery became noisy as those in attendance realized who had entered. Deputy Chief Denison turned to see what the commotion was about and immediately went deathly white as he found himself virtually nose-to-nose with a stoned-faced Daniel Reagan. He glanced over and saw the commissioner, and then quickly turned around and clutched the edge of the table for support as he sank back down, giving a panicked look up to the bench.

The judge banged his gavel calling for order. He recognized the Reagans of course and had sympathy for their position but he needed to move on with the trial. "Commissioner, I am very sorry for your family's loss," he expressed as he turned his attention to Danny. "Please have a seat, Detective Reagan. We must proceed."

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Judge Anderson," Danny said smugly. He was going to have to get the kid something extra special for letting him have this moment, he thought. There was nothing better than a good courtroom takedown in his book. He took the envelope out of his jacket pocket and held it up. "It looks like you're going to have to issue another continuance, sir. One for about fifty to sixty years." The gallery gasped collectively.

"Order!" Judge Anderson demanded, banging the gavel down again. "Detective Reagan, I'm afraid I will hold you in contempt if you do not explain yourself immediately!" he admonished.

"Happy to, sir," Danny continued as he stepped forward and the rear doors once again opened; a number of FBI agents streaming into the room behind him. "Before the events of last Thursday afternoon," Danny was of course referring to what everyone else believed to be Jamie's fatal heart attack, "my brother, Jamison Reagan, was working undercover in the NYPD legal department investigating frauds related to disability claims being filed through that office."

Chuck Miller's mouth dropped open at that revelation and Garrett was quick to steady him before he could jump to his feet. Miller did not think his day could have been any worse and yet here was another avalanche of bad news hitting him. He glared at the back of Denison with white hot anger. His former right-hand man was sitting quietly at the table with his head in his hands in resignation. He had been so close.

"His investigation into those false claims led to a corruption scandal involving all of the players in front of this court today," Danny continued. "With the exception of yourself, sir," he added quickly. "The FBI and the NYPD are here to jointly serve arrest warrants on Deputy Chief Paul Denison, the defendant Philip Michael and the plaintiffs Alan and Amelia Dutton for conspiracy, fraud and various other crimes." Danny had been walking forward as he spoke and handed the warrant to the judge as he reached him. He turned around with a self-satisfied look on his face as he caught Denison's eye. "I guess my little brother was smarter than you after all, wasn't he?"

Denison just scowled back. He consoled himself with the fact that he had killed Jamie first, apparently without the Reagans' knowledge. He still had a hint of a grin on his face as Danny turned him around and cuffed his hands before leading him out of the courtroom.

DCLM Miller finally stood and turned to face the Commissioner. "Frank…" he started, not knowing where to begin.

Frank abruptly cut him off. "In my office, Chuck. There's more," he said as a smile broke the corner of his mouth. "There's so much more," he added quietly as Garrett and Miller followed him out of the courtroom. Frank Reagan had not felt such relief since Jamie had first opened his eyes again in the hospital all those months ago.

###

Paul Denison was left to stew alone in the box at the 54th precinct while Danny waited for his brother to arrive. Jamie was all smiles as he slipped in the side door amid the cheers from the other detectives in Danny's squad. It had been a great lift for everyone when the older Reagan brother had shared the events that had led up to the Deputy Chief's arrest.

"We got them Danny," Jamie enthused. "All of them. We nailed Walter ready to make a run for it from his home. He's the one we caught at the hospital too, so we can add charges of conspiracy to commit murder and everything else to get him to roll. Ellen Holmes was the bad contact in the mayor's office and they are busy picking up the rest of the dirty claimants to charge them as we speak."

"That's good to hear, kid," Danny said as he slapped Jamie on the back. "That was one hell of an operation you set up. What do you say we go and turn the last screws on Paul in there? He still thinks he got away with knocking you off."

"You go ahead," Jamie said. "Give him time to squirm a little first."

"You got it, kid," Danny grinned as he made his way to the door. Jamie stepped over to view the proceedings from behind the two-way glass by the intercom.

Denison barely looked up when Danny entered the room. He had been previously handcuffed to the table and had waived his rights to a lawyer when he was first brought in. Danny gave a heavy sigh as he sat down directly across from him and carefully set a folder down. He was about to enjoy this.

"So Paul, looks like we picked up a few of your friends today. You're all gonna spend a lot of time behind bars, you know. Too bad, it was a really sweet scheme you had going," Danny leaned over and looked at Denison eye-to-eye. "What with your father recruiting and coaching all those false claimants. Kept most of the money in the family, didn't you? Too bad your bank accounts have been frozen and all that cash will be coming back to the NYPD before you can spend one cent of it."

"So what am I doing here then?" Denison growled back. "Those are all federal offenses. You Reagans think you can do anything you want."

"No, we don't think that, Paul," Danny countered as he sat back. "You see we're not like you. We follow the law we were sworn to uphold. You're here so we can add the charge of attempted murder of an NYPD undercover officer, and anything else my sister can come up with. I'll tell you Paul, I just spoke with her and she's never been more motivated before considering what you did to her little brother. For that you get indicted and tried here in the city. And then you go away in a big bad state prison for life without parole, not some cushy federal pen."

" _Attempted_ murder," Denison snarled incredulously, his thin grip on reality growing more strained. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Why don't you ask my brother," Danny sneered back as the door opened and Jamie walked into the room. Denison quite aptly looked as if he had seen a ghost as every fiber of his resolve crumbled.

"Hello Paul," Jamie said as he leaned in close and whispered the next sentence coldly in his ear. "Betcha didn't think you'd be seeing me again."

###

It was late Thursday evening before Frank Reagan could sit back in his office chair at 1PP and bask in the first few minutes of quiet he'd had in several days. His office staff had been working nonstop since the news first broke of Deputy Chief Denison's arrest and Jamie's true status. The story had gone viral and the national media was in a frenzy with requests for interviews and updates. Frank had just sent Garrett home for a few hours of sleep before the cycle started anew the next morning. He turned off his desk lamp and was putting on his overcoat when he heard a knock on his door as Baker entered. He held up his hand to stop her as he picked up his briefcase.

"Whatever it is, Abigail, it will keep until morning. Go home and get some rest," he added.

"Sir," she continued despite his order, "Deputy Commissioner Miller is here to see you. He says it is urgent."

Frank sighed and set his briefcase back down. DCLM Miller had also been overwhelmed dealing with the fallout of the scandal in his office, and he had not had a chance to speak with him privately beyond the few minutes right after the trial when he had explained the details of the investigation and that Jamie was, in fact, alive and well despite Denison's attempt on his life. Frank had a feeling he knew what Miller was coming to his office for and it most certainly could not wait until the morning. The Deputy Commissioner looked like he had aged ten years in the last three days as he made his way into the office. Frank sat down and waited for the inevitable.

"Commissioner," he said as he approached the desk. "I won't take up a lot of your time. I know you haven't had much of a chance to go home and be with your family after all they've been through. I just wanted to hand this in," he said as he laid a paper down in front of his long-time friend.

Frank thoughtfully picked it up and studied it. As he had expected, it was Miller's letter of resignation. He frowned as he set it back down. "I'm not going to accept this, Chuck," he said as he pushed it back towards the other man. "You did nothing wrong."

"It happened on my watch, Frank. I had no idea this was going on underneath my nose for three years. Denison had me completely fooled," he admitted as he took a seat. "I trusted him. You have to accept it... it will just make this whole thing blow over faster if I bow out. The mayor's already hinting that heads will roll. One of them has to be mine."

"No one picked up on this until there was enough of a pattern established, and the mayor had his own bad apple in his office. I don't know why I had a gut feeling something was off, but honestly I would never have figured it out myself if it wasn't for Jamie," Frank said. "I wasn't even looking at anything in your department. You've always run a tight ship, Chuck. Don't fall on your sword for this. If anything I trust you more for coming up clean through the whole FBI investigation."

"You're sure," Miller said, as he looked him straight in the eye.

"Absolutely," Frank countered. "Now go home and get some rest yourself. We'll start fresh tomorrow."

"Then there's just one more thing, Commissioner," Miller said as he pulled a second paper out of his briefcase and placed it on the desk.

"What's this?" Frank questioned.

"A hiring request," Miller replied. "If I'm going to stay on as DCLM, I'm putting Jamie in for a permanent position as a Special Legal Investigator in my department starting January first. I have the budget now that Denison is gone. This requires a promotion equivalent to Detective First Grade. I hope you sign off on it. If I could bump him up officially to Deputy Chief in one shot I would. He'll have all of the responsibilities and will be there at the earliest possible moment... I assure you Frank," Miller said.

Frank chewed his lip nervously as he got up and went to the window. There had been no shortage of interest in Jamie's services since this all broke. He'd had firms from all over the country contact him, a few had tried to come directly through the Commissioner's office in an effort to reach out to him. The Regional FBI director was slated to meet with him in the morning. Frank had no idea what his son was thinking at this point after the flurry of offers and the amount of press he was receiving. Things had been so busy the two had barely had a chance to talk for the past three days. He knew it all hinged on what Jamie felt was the best situation for himself and Eddie, and he was sure many of the other positions included financial packages that were well above what the NYPD could ever hope to meet. Still, there was the lure of the family business they had all tried to keep him away from before. "Have you spoken to him yet?" he asked.

"No, I wanted to run it by you first, and frankly, I had to make sure I still had a job. I need someone I can trust who can spot intricacies like this corruption scam and Jamie needs a path forward, Frank," Miller explained. "Since he's been out of the academy, he's been responsible for the takedown of the Templar, the Sanfinos and now he was able to orchestrate this whole operation with the FBI to clean out my department. He is exactly what I need in a Deputy Chief, and for Christ's sake he's still listed as an inactive regular patrol officer. He should be on a fast track upwards."

"You might run into issues hiring the PC's son and pushing him forward, Chuck," Frank warned, as much as he considered this to be the perfect solution for Jamie, one that would keep him here in the NYPD and with the family, he didn't want Miller to forget about the consequences his actions could have.

"If people talk about this as me trying to garner favor with you, I'll throw them the report on Denison's arrest to show the resources that were being stolen from our injured officers, and beyond that I'll tell them to go to hell. I'm not looking to move on, and I know I'm coming to the end of my run soon. In a few years your son is going to have my office, and one day he's going to be sitting in here, Frank. And the people of this city are going to be the better for it," Miller stated emphatically.

"Thank you, Chuck," Frank replied with a heavy sigh as he turned around. "I'll pass it along and ask him speak to you."


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Despite the whirlwind of activity that had surrounded him over the course of the past several days, Jamie Reagan now felt alone and vulnerable again as he sat nervously in the exam room waiting for his latest follow up appointment with Dr. Abrams. The nurse had already hooked him up to the EKG, but had been called out before she could start the ultrasound. Eddie had planned to be there but was caught in cross-town traffic, so at the moment Jamie was left in solitude with his own thoughts. He'd had regular checkups with Abrams over the course of the last three months, and the last several had shown promising improvement, but after being blindsided more than once he was still apprehensive during each visit. After a few more minutes passed he glanced at his watch to note that the doctor was now running exceptionally late when he heard a soft knock at the door. Eddie peeked her head in. "You decent?" she asked with a soft smile.

He grinned back, "Yeah. I'm glad you made it."

"Me too," she said as she made her way over to give him a kiss. "Traffic coming over the bridge was a nightmare this afternoon. Anything yet?"

"No, they must have had some kind of emergency. Been waiting for more than an hour," he sighed.

"At least it's quiet in here," Eddie pointed out. "I don't think your phone has stopped ringing all week."

"That's true," Jamie admitted as he glanced over at the all too familiar monitor tracking his heart rhythm. "There's no shortage of things to consider, I guess."

"Hey," she said as she took his hand and sat next to him on the exam table, "Jamie, I told you that we will make things work wherever you want to go. I want to be wherever you want to be," she added, using his own words against him. "Except Nome," she laughed, trying to lighten the mood. "I'd have to break up with you if you decided to move to the North Pole. I can barely take these New York winters as it is."

Jamie smiled. Eddie could always make him feel better. He reached over and pulled her in for a hug and gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek. His father had called earlier with news of the position DCLM Miller had proposed in legal and he hadn't had the chance to tell her about it yet. He'd just been offered a post in Washington with the FBI that morning as well. Jamie knew if they stayed in New York that Eddie would want to remain on the job, and it had been tempting to think of the other options where they could move away and she wouldn't need to work at all. She would be safe. He had been wrestling with those thoughts all morning. He knew it wasn't fair, that Eddie loved being a cop as much as he did, and just as his father had always told him, it would be her decision to make, not his.

"Thanks," he said. "Let's just get through this for now."

They sat quietly for a few more minutes before the door opened and a harried looking Dr. Abrams entered with his head down. "So sorry to keep you waiting, we had a patient in crisis that needed to be admitted to the hospital," he said as he looked at the chart to orient himself. "Jamie! Well this is a good surprise, isn't it? I thought after the news last weekend that I'd lost you!" He looked at Jamie critically. "And yet here you are. I guess it's safe to say that you did not take my advice about not working for the past several months."

"Oh, um, right doc. Sorry about that," Jamie said sheepishly. "It was… something important."

"Obviously, judging from the TV reports," Dr. Abrams countered. "But so is your health, Jamie. Once you've lost that there is very little else that matters, does it?" he sighed. "I know your type, though, always putting other's needs first. All right, my nurse is tied up setting up other patients so let's get started on your exam. Please lay back and lets take a look," he said as he followed his normal course of reviewing the EKG. Seemingly satisfied he rolled the ultrasound cart over and spent the next several minutes scanning Jamie's heart. As he finished he put the wand down and pushed the machine away. Jamie and Eddie both waited with baited breath hoping that the added stress of the past few weeks had not caused any harm.

"Well despite your recent activity, and the premature reports of your death, I'm happy to tell you that your heart looks completely healthy at this point," Dr. Abrams said with a smile. "You're almost back to your normal weight as well. We are going to taper you off your medication, and you can officially be cleared for duty in two weeks."

"It's over?" Jamie asked as he sat up, a little stunned. After six months he wasn't sure this day would ever come. "I'm clear?"

"Oh, Jamie!" Eddie said excitedly as she came over to hug him. "This is wonderful news!"

"Yes," Dr. Abrams said. "Everything looks good. We'll set up a follow up appointment in three months just to keep an eye on you, but other than that you are fine. You can resume physical activity, but take it slow. Don't try to go out and run a marathon tomorrow," he paused as he reached over to shake Jamie's hand. "I'm so pleased for you Jamie. Take care now and don't forget to pick up your paperwork out at the front desk."

"It's over," Jamie repeated as Dr. Abrams left the room. He looked up at Eddie and a huge smile crossed his face. "It's really over!"

"No lambchop," she said, her eyes shining with emotion as she took his hands and squeezed them. "It's just beginning."

###

"Where's Uncle Jamie?" Jack asked as he ran into his grandfather's house to find Frank and Henry sitting in the living room watching television. "He wasn't at church again today."

"Look," Henry said as he pointed to the screen. His great grandson spun around and was surprised to see his favorite uncle being interviewed by a news anchor on New York One.

"DAD!" Jack yelled, running into the kitchen. "Come in here! Uncle Jamie's on TV again!"

Danny, Linda, Nicki and Erin all hurried into the room. Jamie had been making the rounds of the Sunday morning news shows with Garrett tagging along providing the official NYPD recap of the week's events. All of the stations had requested Frank's presence hoping for a father/son interview, but he was happy to let Jamie have his time alone in the spotlight. The boy had earned it. Judging from the ease in the way he was handling the attention, he certainly didn't need his dad's help.

Linda stood with her arms crossed, "Wow, the camera loves him. He sure cuts a handsome figure in that suit, doesn't he? Eddie's going to have to carry a nightstick with her to beat the girls off of him."

"Hey, I clean up pretty well too!" Danny said as he grabbed her from behind for a hug. "And I wear a suit to work all the time!" The image cut back to the female reporter. "Wait! Turn that up. What's she saying?" Henry grabbed the remote and increased the volume.

"Have you decided on your next move yet?" she asked Jamie. "There has been a lot of media speculation, and I understand that you were just cleared for duty after your illness. Will you be returning to patrol with the NYPD?"

"Thanks for asking, Faith," Jamie replied. "Yes, I have decided on the direction I want to take now that all of this is over, but I'm afraid I need to talk to my family first. They are the most important consideration I have at this time."

No one said a word as the interview wrapped up and the show moved on to the next segment. Danny finally broke the silence as he turned off the TV. "So he's decided then?" he asked as he looked hopefully towards his father.

Frank's face remained set in stone. "Sounds that way," he admitted with a frown as his heart sank a little. "And no, I haven't heard anything other than he was considering all of his options and talking to Eddie."

"Well I think he'll stay here and take the job with legal," Linda interjected. "Jamie's not gonna move away from his family."

"I don't know about that," Erin said sadly. "I saw some of the offers he had. He'd be crazy not to take the one from Spencer's firm. They'd be set for life."

"I think he's gonna join the FBI," Sean said. "That's what I would do." He looked around as he heard all of the coughs and grunts from the men. "What?"

Danny just shook his head and grabbed his son by the shoulder, "Little man, we're gonna need to have a talk." Linda raised her eyes and mouthed a silent prayer. The last thing she needed was to have her youngest thinking about such things already.

"Well Jamie and Eddie should be here in a couple of hours," Henry said as he got to his feet. "I guess we'll have to wait to find out until then. Let's go get dinner started."

###

"Bless us, O Lord, and these Thy gifts, which we are about to receive from Thy bounty, through Christ our Lord," Jamie offered as he was asked to say grace before the family meal, "and thank you for the special guidance you provided me this week. Amen." He had arrived with Eddie just as the food was being brought to the table so there had not been time for the burning question that had been on everyone else's lips. It wouldn't take long, though, before the topic was brought to the forefront.

"So kid, caught you on New York One this morning." Danny had never been one for patience. Frank tried to read Jamie's face while he was putting his napkin on his lap, but his youngest was keeping his emotions close to the vest as he passed the vegetables to his grandfather. Eddie was concentrating very intently on her water glass.

"Yeah, well it was a crazy morning," Jamie finally admitted after an awkward pause. "I don't know how Garrett keeps everything straight when he handles all those appearances."

"That's his _job,_ " Danny said with particular emphasis on the "b" so the sound popped. He wasn't going to let Jamie squirm away from his question. His older brother was dying to know, as was the rest of the family.

"Uncle Jamie, Daddy wants to know if you are going to work with Grandpa at 1PP or if you are moving away," Sean said. He never understood why adults always beat around the bush when they wanted to know something.

"Sean!" Linda admonished.

"That's okay, Linda," Jamie smiled. "There's nothing wrong with coming out and asking a question, buddy." He grabbed Eddie's hand under the table as Frank felt the blood run from his face and his chest tighten while he waited to hear what his son had decided. "The truth is that Eddie and I have been talking about all of the options that have come up this week. It was a very difficult, life-changing decision, but I will not be returning to patrol. I think I have a better path forward through law. We both love the NYPD, and we're incredibly thankful that all of my health problems have been cleared, so..."

"Amen to that," Henry interjected as everyone else nodded in agreement.

"Yes, well for that reason we've decided to go out to California…" Jamie paused again as Danny dropped his fork and pushed his plate away. He looked up to see all of the crestfallen faces. Frank took a deep hard breath and began to rub his temple. Somehow he had known in his heart it was going to go this way all along, ever since that first morning when he'd sat with his son in the kitchen and discussed the switch back to law. "We've decided to go out to California," Jamie continued slowly as he looked from face to face, "on vacation to visit Spencer for the week between Christmas and New Year's because I need to be back in time to start my new job in the legal division at 1PP on January second. I'll have my badge back," he said with great satisfaction.

"You're staying?!" Erin asked incredulously as she got up to go hug her little brother. She wrapped her arms around him from the back and squeezed as hard as she could.

"Yes," Jamie said as he laughed and tried to fend off her kisses. "Erin, please! You're going to choke me if you hold any tighter!" Henry was clapping him on the back at the same time.

"Oh, I'm not going to let you go," she said as she reached over to give Eddie a hug too. "I'm so glad. We would have missed you both terribly." Danny came over to shake Jamie's hand and give him a hug.

"Well," Frank said with a deep breath as relief flooded over him, "this calls for a toast." He paused for a second as his knees were weak. Everyone raised their glasses.

"Wait, Dad. I want to do this," Jamie said as he stood up.

"First, I want to thank you all for everything you've done for me since I got sick. I know I wasn't always the easiest person to be around, and I wouldn't have made it through this experience without all of you," Jamie paused. "What's happened since… it's affected me deeply. I'm going to take all of the experiences I've had and move forward. I heard a quote in a song recently talking about family and being 'a million miles from a million dollars, but you could never spend their wealth,' or something like that. That's how I feel about all of you… and Eddie of course. I've been blessed and even though we could have taken a more lucrative offer somewhere else, we would never be as rich or happy as we are right now."

"Here, here," came the reply from the rest of the table as the glasses clinked.

"Love you, son," Frank said with deep pride.

Jamie caught his father's eye and smiled. He had just one important thing left to do.

* * *

 _OneRepublic. "Preacher." By Ryan Tedder, Brent Kutzle and Brian Willett. Native. 2013. CD._

 _Two more chapters and this second story in the series will come to a close! I'm kind of sad but don't worry! Something big's still left to come!_


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

"I still can't believe that we're all going to a Valentine's Day ball tonight at an estate in the country," Eddie marveled as she sat next to Erin and Nicki; basking in reclining massage chairs, and sipping fruity drinks while they waited for their pedicures to dry. "I mean, who gets to do that anymore… go to a ball. It's all so Cinderella like," she gushed, thoroughly enjoying her girl's day out. As soon as they were done here it was off to the salon for an updo style.

Erin suppressed a laugh as she smiled sideways at Nicki, "Just one of the perks of having the Police Commissioner as a dad, I guess. He's been friends with the McPherson's for years. They're Jamie's Godparents as a matter of fact."

"I don't know how you talked Jamie and Danny into it, either," Eddie said. "I mean they aren't normally top hat and tail kind of guys. I can't wait to see them all dressed up."

"Oh, Jamie might surprise you," Erin offered with a gleam in her eyes. "He can be a hopeless romantic sometimes."

"Still, I have to thank you, Erin. I don't know what I would have worn if you hadn't taken me dress shopping after Jamie and I got back from California." Eddie's mind was on the beautiful cream colored taffeta sheath dress she had chosen with the sweetheart neckline. It had been tailored to fit and she loved the way the ruffled skirt offset the organza on top. "You picked it up at the dressmaker, right?"

"Yes, Eddie. It's hanging in the back of my car right now. All pressed and ready to go," she assured her. "Thanks for letting Nicki and me get changed at your apartment. It was so much more convenient than running all the way home after we get our hair done."

"Oh it's no problem," Eddie enthused. "Your dad was coming there to pick us up in the limo anyway. I didn't think my dress would survive the drive in Jamie's mustang or my little car," she laughed. "Now we can all ride together. I just hope it doesn't snow too much before we go," she said as she looked out the window at the fresh few inches that had fallen overnight. "After all this, I couldn't bear it if we had to cancel."

"I think they are only calling for flurries the rest of the day, Eddie," Nicki grinned as she sat back. "I'm sure it won't interfere with our plans tonight."

The three were still chatting away happily a few hours later as they made their way up to the apartment after having their hair done. Eddie clutched the dress bag tightly as she quickly dashed back to the bedroom to hang it up on the closet door.

"Well, dang," she said as she unzipped the bag and pulled it off.

"Eddie, is there something wrong?" Erin asked as she quickly made her way into the room.

"No, um, I guess not. Doesn't it look lighter than the color it was in the store? It's more like off white then a darker cream."

Erin stepped back and examined it carefully. "Well maybe a little," she said. "It must be the lighting. Still you are going to look simply stunning in it. Jamie's eyes are going to pop out when he sees you in that dress," she assured.

"Speaking of Jamie," Eddie frowned, "I wonder where he is." She pulled out her phone and was surprised to see a message from him that she missed.

"Oh no," she cried as she read it. "He says he's stuck in the city at the courthouse until five waiting for a judge's ruling. He won't make it back here in time for the limo. He has his tux with him though and will drive out straight from there and meet us."

"Oh, don't get upset," Erin replied as she noticed Eddie's eyes start to well. "With traffic he'll probably make it there ahead of us. Don't worry; your Prince Charming would never let you down. Guys can get ready for something like this in five minutes. He'll be there. Now we'd better get a move on it and get dressed or dad will be here soon and standing out in the street stopping traffic while he's waiting for us."

###

At precisely five-thirty, a black limousine pulled up to the curb in front of the apartment building with a familiar SUV escorting it. Frank Reagan cut a dashing figure as he stepped out of the door with Henry aside of him to welcome the women as they walked through the front of the building. Soft, powdery snowflakes glistened as they wafted slowly to the ground. It was not overly cold, but Eddie was glad she had thought to borrow a warm faux fur stole from her mother to wear over her dress.

"Pop, have you ever seen three such lovely ladies together before?" he asked as they drew close.

"Not in this lifetime, Francis," Henry agreed as he stopped to give them each a peck on the cheek while he helped them into the car.

Eddie was disappointed that Jamie had not arrived in time for the limo ride, but she relaxed when she received a reassuring text from him that said he was getting in the car and was on his way to meet them.

Their driver soon left the city lights behind them, and before they knew it, he was turning into a stately looking driveway bordered on each side by white fencing and mature sycamore trees with snow draping over them. It looked like a winter wonderland photo from a Christmas card. He brought the car to a smooth stop as the gates opened. Eddie was puzzled when he made his way out of his seat and came around to open the side door.

"Why are we stopping here?" she wondered as Frank led her outside by the hand.

"Oh, just something Jamie thought you might like," he said with a deep smile as Eddie noticed bells jingling and caught sight of an antique sleigh arriving pulled by two dappled grey horses. "We'll meet you up at the house later," he added. She was further shocked to find Danny climbing down from his perch aside the driver and Linda, Jack and Sean sitting in the back, covered in blankets and muffs.

"C'mon Eddie!" The kids shouted as Danny smirked and led her over to the step. He was dressed to the nines underneath his heavy black wool overcoat and cap. "Let's go for a sleigh ride!" Sean added as Linda offered a beaming smile while Eddie took a seat next to her and settled down among the soft blankets, snuggling in the warmness of her stole.

"Linda Reagan, what is going on here?" Eddie pleaded. "Tell me! What's Jamie up to now?" she wondered as she shook her head.

"You'll see soon," Linda promised. "Now just enjoy it," she added as the driver clucked to the team and they were off at a trot across the stately grounds. The boys began singing "Jingle Bells" and Eddie, Linda and Danny could not help but join in. They were on their fifth verse as the driver turned the horses up a path that brought them out towards a smaller, old Cathedral-style building.

"What is this place?" Eddie wondered as her eyes caught sight of something glowing around the corner.

"It's an old abandoned Catholic monastery on the grounds of the McPherson's estate," Linda explained. "And that," she nodded as they came to a stop, "that is somebody who's been waiting for you for a long, long time."

Eddie's eyes widened in amazement as she peered around Linda and focused on Jamie standing in front of a flickering heart-shaped ring of votive paper lanterns arranged in the snow in front of the building. He was decked out in a long coat with tails, and suddenly Eddie had no doubt what this whole carefully arranged day had been about. She stepped out of the sleigh with Danny's help and made her way over to Jamie, never taking her eyes off of him. He shook his head at the sight of her and smiled as he took her hand and led her into the center of the candles and dropped down to one knee. Her breath caught as she heard the words she had been longing for.

"Edit Katalin Janko, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever known. I adore you in every way possible. You are my best friend...my partner, and I am utterly, madly, and completely in love with you. Will you marry me tonight?"

"Oh, Jamie," she glowed, all caught up in the perfect breathtaking moment she had been dreaming of since she was a little girl. The softly falling snow was sparkling like sugar in the cold air and the beautiful diamond ring in his hand glittered in the light of the flickering candles surrounding them as she was lost in the look of his beautiful hazel eyes. One of the horses whinnied softly in the background, steam rising around the pair, their bells tinkling once more. She felt like a princess in a Disney tale. "Yes, of course I will marry you..." she replied, and then the entirety of what he had said hit her. "Wait, did you just say _tonight,_ Reagan?!" she sputtered, her heart stopping in that instant.

"Yes, tonight," Jamie smiled, carefully sliding the ring on her finger. It was a halo setting and had been specially made using the stones from his mother's engagement ring and his grandmother's old pendant. "I'm ready to spend the rest of my life with you, Edit, right from this very second forward. Why wait?"

"But... how?" was all she was able to softly demand, laughing as his smile turned even brighter. They were quite literally, standing in the middle of the woods.

"I told you once that you were a girl that deserved to be properly wooed," Jamie explained as he rose to his feet, brushing the snow off his knee and bringing her left hand up to kiss the ring softly. She smiled as she remembered the conversation that first night in his apartment. "You told me if I wanted you to say yes I needed to do something spectacularly romantic," he added. "So I did. Say the word, Edit Katalin, and we will be married tonight. I promise you."

Eddie's smile grew as her heart now pounded in her chest, "You are the most handsome and amazing man I've ever met, Jamison Henry Reagan. I love you with all my heart and soul, and I don't know how you intend to pull this off lambchop, but yes, I will marry you tonight."

Jamie reached down to kiss her and lifted her off her feet, twirling her around in a small circle. Suddenly the heavy bells of the church began to ring above them in the tower and the front doors opened, streaming light and laughter down the stairs as their friends and family poured out and cheered from the landing above. Eddie was speechless as she looked up and saw her best friend Hailey standing on the left by Erin and Nicki, who were quickly joined by Linda, all in various styles of deep red floor-length dresses with bouquets of white peonies and garden roses tied with soft gold ribbons. Her mother, Eva, was next to them in a cream colored gown. Hailey carried a second, larger bridal arrangement and there were tears in Eddie's eyes as Jamie led her up the steps towards them. He handed her off with a small kiss. "Go on now, the girls and your mom will help you get ready. I'll see you in a few minutes, Ms. Janko."

Eddie's mother embraced her daughter with a kiss to either side of her cheek. "I am so happy for you, Edit. Jamison is a fine young man and your father and I both approve." In that moment, Eddie wished desperately that her dad was there instead of in prison, and her mother read her thoughts. "I know you want him to be here with us tonight, but he sends his love and wants nothing more than for you to be happy. I will stand up with you tonight, Edit, in his honor." The women quickly ushered Eddie into the church and down the hall to a back room where they set to work, putting the finishing touches on her hair, makeup and dress.

Jamie meanwhile was greeted with firm handshakes and bear hugs as he made his way through the throng of friends and Reagan men gravitating towards him. His college roommate, Spencer, flown in from California to be the best man, was grinning from ear to ear. "I told you Jamers," he said laughing. "I always knew you wanted to kiss that girl. I'm glad I didn't break the bro code that night at the bar. It's good to see Hailey here again though," he added impishly.

"Little brother, I can't believe you actually pulled it off," Danny grinned as he slapped him on the back. "I tell ya, I'm glad I'm already married or Linda would be expecting me to top this!"

"Harvard, you dog!" Renzulli exclaimed as he grabbed him by the back of the neck. "Took ya long enough! You've got my missus all teary-eyed tonight. Congratulations, kid!"

As he neared the door, his father and grandfather were there at last, waiting for him dressed in their finest tuxedos. Frank's eyes were shining as he greeted his youngest with a firm handshake and a hug. "I'm so happy for you, son," he said while holding the side of Jamie's face. "Eddie is a wonderful woman and I wish you all the joy and love that I shared for so many years with your mother. She would be so proud of the man you've become, Jamison. I'm sure she is smiling down on us right now in this beautiful moment."

Jamie was too choked up to utter any more words by this point. Henry reached out for him and gave him a firm squeeze on the shoulder. "Love you, son. Your grandmother would have admired her spunk, and your brother Joe would be so happy that you finally found someone who cares about you as deeply as Eddie does. Jamie, she's the one. Now get in there and don't keep that pretty girl of yours waiting any longer."

They all made their way back into the beautiful, quaint old building with reaching stained glass windows and its old wooden pews decorated with flowers and ribbons. A string quartet was playing softly in the corner. The crowd gathered was intimate, consisting of only the closest of their friends and family. Jamie paused on his way to the front to light three votives for the ones who could not be there. He missed his mother and Joe most of all. The room was aglow with candles and laughter as they waited for the bride to reappear.

* * *

 _Okay, that was a little fluffy, but it's fiction and the one time I will write about a Jamko wedding in this series so I let myself go all out. It was fun... btw, I met my husband at a surprise Valentine's Day party a teeny bit like this, complete with horses, and I live across the way from a beautiful old monastery, so it COULD have happened. Just sayin'... Last chapter to post tomorrow. ;-)_


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Eddie just stared in disbelief at herself in the full-length mirror as Hailey, Erin, Linda, Nicki and her mom fussed over her. A photographer was already taking pictures, and unbeknownst to her, had been stationed to capture everything since her arrival on the grounds. Eddie could not believe that she was about to be married to Jamie in just minutes, and would have pinched herself to make sure it was not a dream if Erin hadn't done it for her.

"Ooo, so sorry about that," Erin apologized, "Getting this train attached to your dress is a little more complicated than I thought." With Linda's help the beautiful ruffled train was soon in place and complimented Eddie's dress perfectly.

Eddie gave Erin a somewhat blank look as Hailey was busy taming down the last few errant locks dislodged during the sleigh ride and was setting the beautiful lace wedding veil in place. "How?..." was all she managed, still in shock.

"The dressmaker, Mr. Evans, is a friend of mine," Erin explained. "I told him what we were really coming in to look for and he made sure to steer you towards a certain style of dress so we could pull this off. You chose a little bit of a darker color, but he made it in this beautiful off white instead. That's why I picked it up, so you wouldn't have a choice but to wear it tonight."

"Everyone knew, then..."

"Yes, Eddie," Erin smiled. "We've all been in on it for months now. Well except the kids, of course. Jamie thought of everything. I told you, he's a hopeless romantic," she laughed as she pulled a form from her purse. "Here, you need to sign this for the license. I even have my friend Emily here, she's a court clerk and she'll notarize it. You're all set."

"But wait..." Eddie said in a sudden panic as more of the reality began to hit her. "I don't know what I'm doing! What about the vows? I don't know what to say!"

"Now, Edit," her mother Eva admonished as she lightly powdered her daughter's face and applied just a little blush to highlight her cheekbones. "Don't worry. We can all see how much you love this young man, and to do all this for you... he must feel the same. Just go in there and speak from your heart. You will be fine."

"Hold on!" Nicki chimed in as they started gathering the bouquets. "What about the things she needs for good luck? What is it? Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue? Did we do that?"

"Nicki, bless you for remembering!" Linda exclaimed. "Here Eddie, I have something for you. Frank just handed it to me earlier." She reached in her bag and pulled out a clutch and opened it to reveal a beautiful delicate vintage silver wedding necklace with stunning sapphires. "You have a brand new diamond ring, now this is something old, borrowed, and blue," she said as she fastened it around Eddie's neck. It was breathtaking.

"Oh, Linda, it's Mom's necklace," Erin breathed as her eyes teared up and she fingered the jewels. "I almost forgot about it... Dad didn't, thank goodness! He had this made for my mother when they were married," she explained. "It's been a tradition for all of us to have the bride wear it on our wedding day." Her voice broke as she remembered, "This is the first wedding that Mom hasn't been here to be the one to put it on. She so would have loved this candlelight ceremony here in this old church… especially for Jamie... oh my God, her baby..." The tears were being unleashed freely now.

"Oh my gosh Erin," Linda exclaimed. "Please don't cry yet, you're getting us all started now. It's going to be bad enough when Jamie sees Eddie in this..." But it was too late, there wasn't a dry eye left in the room. Even the photographer was sniffling as they heard a soft knock on the door. Danny peeked his head in.

"Hey, I'm just checking to see how things are going…" he paused, suddenly very uncomfortable to be the only male in the room full of women crying. "Uh, so… everything still all right? 'Cause Spencer is doing his best to keep Jamie calm but the kid's starting to look a little jittery up there."

"Yes," Eddie said and she dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief. "Tell Jamie… tell him I'm not going anywhere," she smiled. "That will settle him down."

"Okay, good," Danny let out a sigh of relief. He spotted the necklace and suddenly knew what the tearfest was about. He tried to hide the fact that it made him emotional too as he remembered Linda wearing it, and how happy his mother had been at his own wedding. "You look really beautiful, Eddie," he added, wiping his eyes and clearing his throat. "My brother is a lucky man."

"Thanks," she said as she stepped down off the small stool she had been standing on and picked up her bouquet. A few last minute touchups and she was ready. "Let's go," she smiled. "We've all been waiting for this for a long time."

###

All eyes turned to the back of the church as the quartet struck the familiar tones of the wedding march after Hailey, Erin, Linda and Nicki had made their procession in and stood at the front of the church awaiting Eddie's grand entrance. Spencer, Danny, Jack and Sean comprised the groomsmen's line.

Jamie took a deep breath to ease his nerves as the doors opened, and then he promptly forgot about everything as he saw her enter on her mother's arm. She was stunning and only had eyes for him as they made their way up to the altar. His heart melted as he saw her wearing his mother's precious necklace, and he met her at the bottom step as her mother gave her a kiss and affirmed that she was there to give Eddie away in marriage when the priest inquired.

The rest of the ceremony went by in a blur as the two could think of nothing but the other, and suddenly it was time for the vows. Jamie nervously accepted the ring that Spencer fished out of his pocket and handed him. He turned to face Eddie and smiled as he put it on her finger and said, "Tonight, surrounded by the people who love us, I take you, Edit Katalin Janko, to be my partner, my wife. I am proud to become your husband and to join my life with yours. I promise to support you, push you, inspire you, and above all love you. I will care for you and share with you all that life has to offer us from this day forward, and all the days of my life."

Eddie's hands were shaking as she took the ring from Hailey. For a second her mind went completely blank and she panicked a little until she remembered her mother's words. She took Jamie's hand and placed the ring on his finger as she said, "Jamison Henry Reagan, because of you, I laugh and smile more than I ever have before. I give you my heart and look forward to spending the rest of my life with you, caring for you, and being there for you in all life has for us. I promise to be true and faithful wherever our journey leads us."

Father McMurray proclaimed them husband and wife to a rousing chorus of claps and cheers. Jamie grinned as he picked Eddie up, dipped her back and kissed her deeply before setting her down and taking her hand as they turned to face the crowd.

"I just have one question for you, Mr. Reagan," she said, her eyes shining.

"Yes, Mrs. Reagan?" he answered with a smile.

"So what do you have planned for the honeymoon?"

-fin-

* * *

 _That's it for this one._ _I've really enjoyed writing it! Thanks for all the reviews, favs and follows!_ _Look for the next story in this series, "Home Sweet Home" to post when I have it finished!_


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